Welcome to High Society
by Black Acid Dragon
Summary: [INCOMPLETE][I am so sorry][Postgame] Tear has always lived the life of a soldier, but being with the man she loves means leaving that behind and adjusting to a life that is more difficult than it looks. [LukexTear, lots of fluff]
1. Three Years Later

Author's Note: This is a story I've been meaning to write. I know the intro is short, but it's basically just giving the setting. The later chapters will be longer.

It occurred to me that, due to her personality and upbringing, Tear probably wouldn't make a very good noble. I decided there should be a fic about it. I'm not entirely sure where I'm going with this, but please tell me what you think.

Since this story is post-game it'll have spoilers from different points throughout the game.

* * *

Tear was a soldier. 

She was raised by a soldier. She was taught by a soldier at a young age. The world of a soldier was the world she knew; she understood it, accepted it, lived it. And she was pretty damn good at it.

So how, in the name of Yulia and Lorelei, had she ended up here, standing in a room filled with nothing but the most pompous members of high society, adorned in the excessively lavish and completely impractical attire of a noble?

Tear glanced over at the man standing next to her. His clothing was equally extravagant, but he looked much more at home. That made sense; after all, this was the world Luke had been raised it.

Noticing her glance, Luke briefly turned to face her, flashing her a comforting smile. Tear smiled back, feeling an odd sense of pride as she noted the deep look of affection in his eyes.

_Oh yeah_, she thought wryly, _that's how I ended up here_.

Not that she could really have forgotten. She just had to marvel at how drastically her life had changed over the past few years. She had practically spent the first twenty-two years of her life as a member of the Oracle Knights before she quietly resigned. Teodoro was disappointed to lose her services, but he was aware of her situation and would not stop her from pursuing the happiness she so desperately desired. Besides, members of the Order were required to be neutral in all matters concerning Kimlasca and Malkuth, and she could hardly be expected to be neutral after she was married to a Kimlascan noble.

A marriage, she recalled, that was not easily obtained. Duke Fabre had been furious when he learned that his only (living) son and heir wanted to wed a lowly _soldier_. Never mind that she had helped save all of Auldrant from destruction. Never mind that she was the only living descendant of Yulia herself. She lacked a title of nobility, and therefore was clearly inferior.

Luke was ready to throw away his heirdom and run away with Tear to Malkuth (at the enthusiastic encouragement of Guy) before his father realized how serious he was. He grudgingly relented, though he made no secret of his persisting negative view on the matter.

Susanne had been much more supportive. She was far more concerned with her son's happiness than the standard rules of marriage for a noble. She welcomed Tear into the family and assured her that the Duke would eventually come to accept her. Tear was not so certain, but she appreciated the encouragement.

It had occurred to Tear that being married to Luke would make her a noble, but she did not realize exactly what the position entailed. She was expected to attend all manner of social gatherings, making small talk with other "prestigious" individuals and pretending to care when they told her stories about their mundane lives. Tear had never been very good with people, and her nature to be painfully honest made it exceptionally difficult to feign interest in matters she could not care less about.

It was well-known that Tear had not been a member of the upper-class before she was married. This, combined with her awkward disposition when it came to social encounters, made her the subject of quite a bit of less-than-pleasant gossip. As it turned out, Luke was also relatively popular among the female nobles, and they were not above making scathing remarks out of jealously. Not that any of this was said to Tear's face. In her presence, all of the women acted like perfect ladies, smiling and talking politely. But even as they complimented her dress and spoke of the lovely weather Baticul had been having lately, Tear could sense their disapproval and dislike.

Tear hated it all. She hated the façades, she hated the suffocating clothing, she hated being around so many people, and she hated feeling like an intruder. She wanted to go find someplace quiet and away from this mess.

Sensing Tear's discomfort, Luke took her arm in his and leaned down to whisper that soon it would be late enough for them to be able to leave without being considered rude. Before moving his head away he gently kissed her on the cheek, knowing anything more would be considered indecent in such a public setting. She smiled in appreciation of the gesture and leaned against him, more for mental support than anything.

It was worth it.


	2. Internal Conflict

Author's Note: So I just let this chapter go where it wanted, and it ended up much more... drama-ish than I intended. I meant this to be a pretty light-hearted story, but it seems to have run away from me. Aw well.

Thank you everyone who reviewed. Your words made me feel special inside.

Edit: Haha, whoops, I didn't realize that the site had killed my line break. Sorry if anyone was confused by the random jump in time and setting.

* * *

Luke was in quite a bit of physical discomfort. Various aches and pains were forming on different parts of his body from being held in the same position for so long, and he had lost all feeling in his left arm. He was intensely hungry, and was relatively certain he was thirsty enough to drink all the water from the fountain outside the manor. 

Yet he continued to lie as still as he could, afraid that if he so much as breathed too deeply he would disturb his sleeping wife. He was on his back and Tear was on her side, her head resting on his chest. She also happened to be on top of his arm, which at one point had been around her waist but had fallen limp since Luke stopped being able to feel it.

Luke stared idly up at the ceiling of his room. No, _their_ room, he corrected himself. He had only been married a few months, so it was still a little strange to think that what for so long had been a personal sanctuary now also belonged to another. Not that he really minded, especially since Tear kept so few possessions. Besides, he knew that if he ever wanted to be alone he had only to say so and Tear would allow him to be. What he really missed at that moment was being able to move.

The current situation was somewhat unusual, since Tear was not a particularly "cuddly" person. The fact that she had chosen such a position meant that something was probably wrong. Luke had noted in the past that when she acted in such a manner it often turned out something was bothering her.

The fact that he had awaken before her was also quite strange. Tear usually woke early, and had to practically drag Luke out of bed if she wanted him up before noon. Luke strained to look out the window without shifting from his current position. Judging by the light it looked to be almost noon now. The fact that Tear was still fast asleep meant that she had probably been up most of the night thinking about whatever was weighing on her mind. Luke had no intention of depriving her of any sleep, which she most likely needed, since he had yet been unable to rid her of the habit of pushing herself.

Luke internally sighed (doing so externally would have defeated his current purpose). Tear still had a tendency to hide her discomfort. Luckily she had gotten better, and was at the point where she would usually tell him what was wrong if he asked. But sometimes he still had to pressure her if he wanted an answer, and she rarely opened up without him making the first move. It was because of this that he had trained himself to be particularly sensitive to the signs that meant she was unhappy.

He wasn't sure exactly what was bothering her, but he had a feeling it was related to the party they had attended the night before. Nothing out of the ordinary had happened, but when they got home she seemed particularly drained. He had asked her if she was feeling all right but she insisted that she was just tired. She looked to be in no mood to talk, so he had left it at that.

Luke felt sick when a thought occurred to him: what if she was upset with him? He tried to think back on everything he had done recently, but could not come up with anything that would have upset Tear. Then again, he was an emotional klutz, and he knew he sometimes offended people without ever meaning to. He hoped he had not done anything wrong without realizing it. He wanted so badly to make her happy...

At some point during his thought process Luke had unconsciously wrapped his arm around Tear and was holding her against him. This was brought to his attention when she mumbled something in her sleep and shifted positions slightly. He loosened his grip a little, hoping the action had not been enough to wake her.

No such luck. Tear was a light sleeper. After a few seconds she opened her eyes and moved her head to look groggily at Luke, who grinned.

"Morning," he said cheerfully, disappointed that he had waken her but happy about the concept of soon being able to move.

Tear slowly sat up, gently removing herself from Luke's grasp. "Good morning," she muttered back before yawning. Suddenly she froze, as if something had just occurred to her, and she quickly turned to look out the window, all signs of sleepiness gone. She then turned back to Luke, frowning slightly. "What time is it?"

"Not sure. I think it's almost noon." As he spoke Luke sat up and flexed the fingers in his left hand, encouraging the feeling to return to them.

"Noon?!" Unlike Luke, Tear was not accustomed to sleeping so late. Doing so made her feel like she had wasted the day. "Why didn't you wake me?"

Luke concentrated on his hand, feeling a bit embarrassed and not wanting to meet her gaze. "Last night you didn't look too good. I figured you needed the sleep."

"I see," Tear answered shortly before turning her gaze to stare at a painting on the wall.

After a few seconds of silence, Luke said tentatively, "Um, Tear, can I ask you something?"

"What is it?" She turned to look at him again and was a bit surprised to see that he was now facing her. His bright green eyes glinted with worry. The intensity of his stare made her a bit nervous, but she did not avert her eyes.

"Are you... okay? I mean, is there... something bothering you or anything?"

Now Tear looked away, concentrating instead on her hands, which were clenched in her lap. "Why would... why would you think that?"

Tear was pretty good at hiding her emotions, but once confronted she was a terrible liar. Luke now had no doubt in his mind that something was wrong. "It's just that, lately you've seemed kind of... down. And last night..."

"I told you, I was just tired."

"But Tear..."

"I'm fine," she insisted, her voice a little more harsh than she had meant it to be. Attempting to make up for this, she said in a much gentler tone, "Luke, thank you for your concern, but there's nothing wrong."

Luke's heart sank. He was hurt that she wasn't being honest with him, but he knew that continuing to push her now would be wasted effort. Once she got into her current state of mind pressing her further would only cause her to withdraw. Not wanting that, Luke decided to change tactics. He reached out his right hand and placed in on her cheek, gently turning her head so that she was facing him. For a few moments he stared into her eyes, which showed a hint of confusion at his current actions. Then he leaned down and kissed her, his hand never leaving her cheek. She tensed a little at the unexpectedness of the gesture, but quickly relaxed and returned the sentiment.

After a few seconds Luke pulled away. He spoke softly, his hand caressing her cheek. "Just... remember that I'm here for you, okay? I love you."

Tear had heard him speak the words a thousand times, but they still had the power to send a shiver of excitement and delight throughout her body. "I... I know. I love you, too."

Seemingly satisfied with her reaction, Luke finally moved his hand away and slid off the bed. He stood and stretched, then turned back to Tear, smiling reassuringly. "C'mon, let's get something to eat, I'm _starving_."

* * *

Tear absently hummed to herself as she tended the flowers in the courtyard of the manor. Ever since Van had first taught her how to plant and raise a flower garden when she was little she had greatly enjoyed the activity. She found that it had a calming effect, giving her something to concentrate on other than her current worries. Just recently Pere had finally retired, leaving the position of gardener vacant. Duke Fabre had been looking to hire another, but Tear insisted that she be allowed to handle the task. He was surprised by the request, but saw no reason to stop her. She was rather good at it, and he saved money by not having to hire someone new. 

Tear was relieved to have been given something to do when Luke was away. Living in the manor was awkward for her, especially considering her strained relationship with her father-in-law. She would have preferred that she and Luke be able to live somewhere on their own, but neither one of them had much money of their own, so they were forced to rely on Luke's parents.

Tear was tending the flowers now to keep her mind off matters she would rather not think about. Luke was away; Guy had come to visit for a few days, and he and Luke were currently outside of Baticul practicing their swordplay. With Luke gone she had little else to keep her occupied.

As Tear finished caring for the flowers she had been working on, her mind wandered back to the conversation she had with Luke that morning. She stopped humming as a feeling of dread swept through her.

So he knew something was wrong. She felt awful about lying to him, especially since it was obvious he hadn't believed her anyway. But she wasn't ready to explain it to him yet.

Tear simply wasn't adjusting well to her new life. It was just too different from the life she was used to leading. Granted it had only been a few months, but she felt like everything just kept getting worse. She loved Luke and she loved being his wife, but she wasn't sure how much more she could take of everything else that came along with that marriage. She was sure it was obvious how poorly she was doing at acting the part of a noble, and she had even told Luke before how uncomfortable it made her. But she did not want him to know how hopeless she felt about the whole situation. Knowing him he would probably blame himself for any unhappiness she was feeling. She hated it when he got into a self-loathing mindset, and it was always difficult to get him out of it.

Feeling a bit dizzy, Tear set down the gardening tools and headed toward the small bedroom that she and Luke shared. She stepped into the room and closed the door behind her, leaning back against it in an effort to stabilize herself and collect her thoughts. The feeling of dizziness returned, stronger this time, so she stumbled to the bed and sat down, immediately dropping her head into her hands.

What was she doing? What was _wrong_ with her? She was married to a man that she was deeply in love with, so she should be happy, right? So why did something feel so off?

Tear lifted her head and found herself staring into a pair of synthetic brown eyes. She allowed herself to smile as she reached out and picked up the stuffed dog that was sitting on the shelf in front of her. She examined it closely, remembering fondly where it had come from. It had been a gift from Luke on her twentieth birthday. She had confided in him that she had always wanted a pet dog as a child, ever since she saw pictures of one in a book. But there were no animals in the Qliphoth, and dog food was not one of the supplies regularly brought down from the Outer Lands, so even if she had one she would have no way of caring for it. She had been devastated by the news that she could not have any pets at all.

She supposed the stuffed animal was Luke's way of trying to give her something she had always wanted. She remembered how much he had been blushing when he handed it to her, how terrified he had been that she wouldn't like it, and how his face lit up when she told him she loved it...

Tears sprang unbidden to her eyes. Out of long-standing habit she fought to keep them from falling. She clutched the plushie against her chest, burying her face in its soft fur.

Overwhelmed by the sudden onset of emotions, Tear lay down on the bed. The right side. Luke's side. She placed her head on his pillow, breathing deeply. It smelled distinctly of him. It was a smell that unlocked a feeling of euphoria within her, drowning out the anxiety she had been feeling only seconds before. Everything would be all right. It had to be. She would get used to it. She would get used to living in a manor and being waited on by servants. She would get used to dressing up and socializing. She would gain the acceptance of her peers, or stop caring that they despised her. Then she could stay with Luke and be happy, and everything would work out.

She just prayed to Yulia that she was right.


	3. The Invitation

Author's Note: Just to let you all know, I don't intend on making this story very long. If I try I'm afraid I'll lose interest and never finish. It's not meant to be an epic tale so much as a short look into the lives of the characters in the future. I have no idea exactly how long I'm going to make it, but don't be surprised if it ends sooner than you expected it too.

Oh, and I promise this chapter is far less angsty than the last one.

Once again, thanks to everyone who reviewed and boosted my low self-esteem.

* * *

"Let's take a break, I'm beat." 

Luke unceremoniously slumped down against a tree, panting slightly. His blond companion sheathed his sword but remained standing, silently observing his friend.

Luke carefully inspected the sword he had been using, running a finger along the flat of the blade. It was a sword that Guy had brought from Grand Chokmah, and Luke was testing it out to see how he liked it. He still owned the Key of Lorelei, but it felt odd to use such an important weapon for a simple practice session.

It may have seemed silly to some that the two swordsmen continued to practice their fighting skills in a time of widespread peace, but one could never be too prepared. They had been through too much turmoil to accept the ignorant notion that the peace could be everlasting. It would end eventually, and if it ended in their lifetimes, they would be ready. Besides, Luke had always enjoyed sword fighting, and he did not intend to give up one of his favorite hobbies just because it was not currently necessary.

After a minute of silence, Guy finally sighed and spoke. "All right, what's wrong?"

The red-head stopped his task to look up at his friend questioningly. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"You've been acting funny all day. It's obvious something's bothering you."

Luke sighed. "Man, am I that easy to read?"

"Yup." Guy looked thoughtful for a moment, then said, "It has to do with Tear, doesn't it?"

"Huh? How did you..."

"What did you do to make her mad?" Guy asked teasingly.

Luke glared at his companion. "It's not like that! ...Well, at least, I don't _think_ it is..." Seeing Guy's confusion, Luke continued. "I can tell she's upset about something, but she won't tell me what it is, so I don't know if it's my fault or not..."

Guy shook his head. "That's why you have to be careful around women. They'll get mad about the weirdest things and then won't even tell you what you did wrong."

Luke frowned, a look of concern on his face. "So... you think it really is me that she's mad at?"

Guy shook his head again. "I have no idea. But I'd say it's definitely a possibility."

Luke hung his head. "Dammit, I wish she'd just tell me what it is. I thought she trusted me..."

Sensing that his friend was starting down the path toward self-pity, Guy quickly intervened. "Hey, don't take it personally. I'm sure she has a good reason. She'll tell you when she's ready."

"I guess..."

Guy pondered the situation for a moment, then drew his sword and said mockingly, "Well, are you going to sit there all day, or are you ready to be schooled in another few rounds?"

Luke immediately perked up at the challenge. "No way! I was doing _way_ better than you!"

"Prove it!"

The left-handed swordsman jumped up from his place on the ground and got into position, grinning broadly. "You're going down!"

* * *

Tear sat up from the bed with a start, confusion setting in. Had she just woken up? Was it morning? But then, why was it so dark? Had something waken her in the middle of the night? Wait, if it was the middle of the night, where was Luke? And why was she holding a stuffed animal? 

Tear's mind finally caught up, and the situation became clear. She must have fallen asleep while she was thinking. Now she really had wasted the whole day.

With a sigh, Tear got up and put the plushie back on its place on the shelf. She walked to the door and opened it... only to have Luke practically fall into the room on top of her. He had evidently been reaching for the handle, and had not expected the door to suddenly open.

The man in question regained his balance and stared at the door in mild confusion for a few seconds. Then he shook his head and turned to his wife, smiling. "There you are! I was looking for you." He seemed about to continue, but stopped himself and looked beyond her into the empty room. He then turned his attention back to Tear, giving her a strange look. "Were you in there in the dark?"

Tear flushed, feeling somewhat embarrassed. "I was just thinking things over, and I seem to have dozed off."

Luke frowned at her. "You really didn't get much sleep last night, did you?" When she did not respond, he figured it was best to change the subject. "Anyway, I came to find you because Guy says he has a message for us from Emperor Peony."

Tear looked at him curiously. "A message? From Emperor Peony? Concerning what?"

"I have no idea," Luke admitted, shrugging. "Guy didn't say. But it didn't sound like anything bad. Maybe he wants to give us something. He seems to like doing that."

"Oh good," Tear muttered sarcastically, "Because all his past gifts have been fantastic."

"Maybe he wants to give us a rappig." Luke grinned as he watched Tear's face light up at the idea. However, she quickly realized she was being teased and rewarded him with a glare.

"Don't test me," she warned, "Or I just might bring one home. How would you like our bedroom to end up looking like Emperor Peony's?"

Luke shuddered involuntarily at the thought. "Even I couldn't stand living like that much of a slob."

Tear smiled in triumph. "That's what I thought. Now, let's go hear what Guy has to tell us."

* * *

"Well, the message is actually for Natalia, too," Guy informed the two of them when asked about it. 

"Oh?" Tear responded, "Is there a reason you can't tell us first? Natalia won't be back for another two or three days."

Guy looked a little surprised at the information. "I didn't realize she was gone. Where did she go?"

Luke cut in. "I think she's doing something for that Homes for Replicas project she started."

Tear nodded in affirmation. "She's looking at possible building sites. She left almost a week ago, so she should be back soon."

"All right," Guy said, "I guess I could just tell you now. Emperor Peony wants to throw you- well, _us_, a party."

"A party?" Luke asked curiously, "What kind of party?"

"Well," Guy replied, "It's sort of a really belated thanks-for-saving-the-world celebration. That's his excuse, anyway. I'm pretty sure he just wants a reason to get everyone together at his place."

"So," Tear asked next, "When is this party of his?"

"A week from tomorrow," Guy said a bit sheepishly. "I know it's kinda short notice for something like this, but the whole thing was pretty last-minute."

"Well, I don't think we have anything better to do," Luke said, shrugging. "Just hope Natalia doesn't have somewhere else to run off to."

"And what about Anise?" Tear questioned, "I assume she is to be invited as well?"

"Yeah, a letter was already sent to Daath. She'll probably be willing to take a few days off from whatever she's up to these days to see everyone again." Guy thought for a moment, then suddenly cried, "Oh, I almost forgot! Emperor Peony said not to bother bringing your own clothes for the party. He said he has outfits picked out for everyone already."

Luke turned to Tear, grinning. "See? I told you he wanted to give us something."

Tear sighed. "Wonderful. I can't _wait_ to see what he expects me to wear."

* * *

An unidentifiable bug, about half an inch long, crawled out from behind a painting and made its way across the wall to the edge of the room. Once it reached that destination, it began its ascent up to the corner where the walls met the ceiling. It now made its way unhurriedly to the opposite corner of the room, driven by an unknown force. 

For the past fifteen minutes Tear had been lying awake, watching the creature's slow progress by the light of the moon through the windows. It was late, but she found herself not the least bit tired. It was no surprise, after having slept until noon and then taking an accidental nap until nightfall.

The bored and restless woman turned to look at her sleeping husband, mildly jealous of how peaceful he looked. She considered waking him up so that she would at least have someone to talk to, but finally decided against the plan. Instead she carefully got up from the bed and quietly slipped from the room, closing the door behind her.

Tear did not stray far. She leaned on the low railing just outside the room, watching the silent courtyard. She looked sadly at the closed petals of the flowers, finding herself missing her selenia garden. It would be in full bloom right now, and much more pleasant to look at.

It was not long before Tear heard the quiet "click" of the door opening behind her. She smiled but did not turn around, already knowing what to expect. As she predicted Luke came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, making her the subject of a warm embrace. She leaned back against him and placed her hands on his, and he responded by resting his chin on her shoulder.

For a few seconds Luke held her in silence, reveling in the closeness of the woman who had sworn herself to him. Then he turned his head slightly and blew gently into her ear before whispering, "Can't sleep, huh?"

Tear sighed, but this time it was not brought on by negative emotions. "No. That's what I get for sleeping all day."

Luke chuckled in response, then slipped back into silence. After a few more seconds he kissed her neck before whispering slyly, "You know, if you really can't sleep I know a way we can pass the time."

Tear loosened Luke's grasp enough that she could turn around to face him. He was grinning lecherously at her, and she smiled innocently back, pretending not to understand what he wanted from her. "What did you have in mind? A quiet conversation, perhaps?"

He pulled her closer to him and his grin widened. "Something like that."

Tear laughed quietly before responding. "All right. Shall we go back inside then? Or would you rather 'talk' out here?"

Luke gave her an odd look before finally releasing her and heading back into the room. Tear followed soon after, closing the door behind her. Then the two of them had a quiet conversation.

Luke's version of one, that is.


	4. Veronica

Author's Note: ...Hmm, I just realized that I seem to have a fixation with sleep. Maybe because I get so little of it. I really shouldn't write when I'm tired.

I would also like to say that if anyone would like to use my story concept to write their own story, that's fine. But if you're going to take several ideas or actions _directly_ from my story and put them into your own, the least you could do is credit me for the "inspiration," don't you think? ;)

And as always, huge thanks to my awesome reviewers.

* * *

It was warm. Not the unpleasant, hot kind of warm, but the comfortable, soothing kind. The kind that made someone want to lie in bed forever. 

For that brief couple of seconds between sleep and consciousness, everything was right in the world. She was warm, she was safe, and she wasn't alone. Maybe if she just never moved, she could remain in that pleasant state of bliss forever...

Then Tear awoke fully, and reality tainted her idealistic fantasy. Even without opening her eyes she could tell that it was light outside, and the soldier inside her immediately called her to action.

_It's morning. Get up._

As much as she tried to tell herself that she was no longer bound by the expectations of military service, Tear found it impossible to be rid of the habits that had driven her since she was old enough to retain memories. While she would much prefer remaining in the embrace of her affectionate husband, she knew the drive of a soldier would not allow her that peace.

Tear reluctantly opened her eyes, smiling as she looked into the face of the still-sleeping Luke. She reached out a hand and gently brushed back a few strands of his short red hair.

_You're stalling. Get up._

Tear's smile fell as the internal voice scolded her actions. She found herself resenting her upbringing, and how it was currently keeping her from being as happy as she could be.

Giving into old habits, Tear sat up despite still being tired and not having anything urgent to do. She attempted to remove Luke's arms from around her, but was surprised when she was met with resistance. She looked curiously down at him, and sure enough he was no longer asleep. His eyes were half-open, and he was looking sleepily up at her.

"Don't go," he muttered, refusing to relinquish his hold on her.

Tear shook her head. "It's morning. I have to get up."

"Why?"

"Most people get up when it's morning. It's part of being a diurnal species."

"So?"

Tear glared at him; he sure wasn't making this easy. "So? If I don't get up, I'll get on a terrible sleep schedule, and I'll never have any time during the day to get anything done."

Tear knew that if it came down to a battle of logic, she would easily win against Luke. She was not sure if he was conscious of this or not, but either way his strategy quickly changed. His eyes widened, and he looked at her with the most piteous expression he could manage.

"Stay with me," he begged, the tiredness in his voice making him sound all the more pitiful.

Tear felt a sudden pang of guilt for trying to leave, and she silently cursed Luke's ability to play with her emotions, even if he never seemed to do it on purpose.

However, the steadfast soldier refused to give up because of a few unchecked emotions. Fighting to appear as though his words and expression had no effect on her, Tear informed him, "Nice try, but I'm getting up now, so don't try to-"

But Luke was not known for giving up easily either. Before she could even finish her sentence, he yanked her back down onto the bed and wrapped his arms fully around her, making sure it would be extremely difficult for her to slip away if she chose to try.

He grinned mischievously at her. "No. Stay."

"Luke!" Tear cried in exasperation, "You're being childish." But even as she spoke she felt a smile creeping onto her face, and though she tried to hide it she was failing miserably.

The smile was not lost on Luke, who took it as encouragement. He held her tighter, despite her verbal protests.

Tear tried to push Luke away from her, but it was more of an empty gesture than anything. She knew that if she put any real force behind her attempt to escape he would release her without protest, but her willpower was quickly fading; after all, she really did want to stay.

Giving into internal desires, Tear stopped struggling and allowed herself to lie still. When he was sure she was not just trying to trick him into letting down his guard, Luke relaxed his hold.

However, Tear's sense of calm was short-lived. Once again, the part of her mind that was bound to the life of a soldier protested her highly unsoldierly behavior. She prepared to break herself free from her "captor."

But Luke caught on faster than she would have expected him to. He felt her body tense, and knew he was losing her. He removed his right arm from around her but kept his left securely in place. He used his now-free right hand to carefully brush aside the hair that had fallen in front of Tear's face. From there he slowly ran his hand through the length of her long brown hair, passing over her neck and shoulder and having it come to rest low on her back.

His expression softened to a look of sincere affection, and as he gazed into her brilliant blue eyes he whispered, "It's okay."

At first, Tear thought it was a strange thing for him to say. But the more she thought about the words, the more they made sense.

It was okay. It was okay for her to stay. It was okay for her to do what would make her happiest. No one would punish her. No one would think less of her.

_It's okay._

Playing the words again in her head put her at ease, and Tear finally allowed herself to relax completely. She buried her face in Luke's chest, allowing herself the luxury of simply enjoying his presence without feeling like she was wasting time.

It was not long before Luke drifted back to sleep. Tear remained awake a little while longer, before she was finally lulled to sleep by the rhythmic heartbeat of her lover.

* * *

Tear awoke again a couple hours later, and decided it really was time for her to get up. Luke, naturally, was still asleep. She quickly slipped from his grasp and got up from the bed, not giving him time for another protest if he happened to wake up. She got dressed in simple, comfortable clothes, shaking her head at the various frilly dresses she had been forced to wear. The clothes she wore now were still much nicer than anything any commoner would be seen in, but at least they were not so extravagant and conspicuous. 

As soon as she left the room Tear was approached by Ramdas, who quickly bowed before addressing her.

"Milady, I bear a message for you from Count Gardios."

Tear looked at him strangely, her confusion obvious. "From Guy? Isn't he staying here?"

Ramdas shook his head. "He left early this morning. He didn't want to disturb you, so he asked me to give this note to you and Master Luke."

He handed a folded piece of paper to Tear, which she promptly opened and read to herself.

_Hey guys,_

_Sorry to just take off like this. Emperor Peony asked me to come back as soon as possible and help with preparations. The Albiore will be there to pick you up the day before the party, so you two better be ready!_

_-Guy_

_P.S. I left a letter for Natalia at the castle, so you don't have to worry about explaining it all to her._

When she finished reading the letter, Tear looked up to see Ramdas still standing there, watching her curiously.

"Was there something else?" she asked, wondering why he was still hanging around.

"No, Milady, that was all." He watched her for a few more seconds, looking a little uncomfortable, before finally asking, "May I be dismissed?"

Tear flushed, feeling rather stupid. That was why he was still there; she had forgotten to dismiss him. She nodded her head in response to his question and he bowed again before scurrying away to attend other duties.

Tear was not used to having people treat her like she was higher than them, and it made her uneasy. She had tried to convince some of the maids and servants to address her informally, but they had all been trained too well and were afraid of the Duke's wrath if they were caught acting improperly.

Shaking her head to clear it of unpleasant thoughts, Tear turned her attention to what she was going to do now. She had been planning on finding Guy and talking with him, since the two of them had not had much time to visit. But obviously that was no longer an option, so she needed to find another way to occupy her time.

It did not take her long to decide that she would go wander around city. She could get away from the stifling formality of the manor and be among people who treated her like she was human. When she walked in the city she still occasionally got bows from people who recognized her, but most people were too busy to notice or care that she was of higher rank than them.

Tear crossed the courtyard and entered the hallway that led to the entrance of the manor. No sooner had she started walking when the door she was headed for opened. A feeling of dread swept through her; of all people, it had to be Duke Fabre who came through.

The Duke was walking toward her. Tear would have loved to just slip by without saying anything, but she knew it would be considered rude to ignore someone of higher station. When the two of them crossed paths she stopped, feeling incredibly awkward.

She was not sure exactly what she was expected to do in such a situation. His rank was superior to hers, but they were also technically family, so was she exempt from treating him like she would any other Duke? Of course, the two of them were hardly close, so some level of formality was probably still expected.

Not knowing what else to do, Tear gave the Duke an unsure, half-curtsy before muttering, "Your Grace."

He stopped and examined her closely, making Tear feel incredibly uncomfortable. She could see mild disapproval in his expression, and wondered if he was unhappy with her clothing or the way she had addressed him. Or maybe it was just that he was still bitter Luke had chosen her over all of the pretty, rich noble girls that would have been more than happy to marry into his family.

The Duke nodded in acknowledgment of Tear's presence before he finally walked past her. A sense of relief came over her, and she resisted the urge to break into a run to get out of the hall as soon as possible.

When she finally got into the entryway, Tear headed straight for the door that led outside. She moved quickly past the maids that lined the entrance, trying to hide the extraordinary discomfort she felt when they all bowed at her passing.

When she got outside the White Knight guarding the entrance turned to her and saluted. "Milady," he said to her, "If you're going out would you like an escort?"

Tear hastily shook her head. "No thanks, that won't be necessary."

"As you wish, Milady." The knight saluted again before turning back to his post.

Tear made her way to the elevator to the lower level as quickly as she could without drawing attention to herself. She rode all the way down to the lowest level of Baticul, where all the "simple folk" went about their daily lives.

Tear smiled as she looked around the bustling city. People scurried here and there, anxious to complete whatever tasks they were on. She would have much preferred going somewhere quiet, with a lot less machines and a lot more nature. But at least here she was mostly anonymous. She would take being lost in a sea of people over being the center of attention any day.

As she neared the area where the coliseum stood, Tear could hear the wild cheers of spectators as a fight came to a conclusion. She shook her head at the thought; she would never understand why so many people found fighting entertaining. Fighting was a means of survival; it held no glory for her.

As she passed near the entrance to the coliseum, the doors swung open and a large group of people exited. Tear observed the group curiously, noting that most of the people were guards who seemed to be escorting someone. That in itself was not unusual, since several of the nobles enjoyed watching the coliseum fights, sitting above the commoners in a special box. But there was something about the three noblewomen in the center of the guards that struck her as familiar...

Tear froze as she recognized the woman in the very center.

Her name was Veronica. The name meant "perfect beauty" in ancient Ispanian, and was very appropriate. Her long, midnight black hair seemed to shine no matter how little light there was for it to catch. Her eyes were a deep blue, and had the power to elicit a sense of excitement and longing in most men she encountered. She was also quite "blessed" when it came to specific feminine features, and she did nothing to hide that fact. She never left her mansion without dressing up like she was going to a ball, and she was wearing one of her most stunning dresses now. She was absolutely beautiful by anyone's standards.

Tear hated her. Of all the aristocrats she had met, Veronica was by far the most fake. Her actions were always those of a perfect lady, all smiles and curtsies and politeness. But her choice of words and tone of voice always made Tear feel like she was being talked down to, and she was sure it was deliberate. However, since Veronica never said or did anything directly impolite, Tear could not call her out on her rude behavior. She would deny having meant any offense, and Tear would have no way to prove otherwise.

Veronica was also incredibly rich, and never passed up an opportunity to show off that wealth. Not only did she come from a very rich family, but she was also married to a very rich husband from a very prestigious background.

It was well known but never spoken of that Veronica was anything but faithful to her oblivious husband. Since most marriages among nobles were arranged, affairs were fairly common (though no one seemed willing to admit it). But Veronica took the "privilege" to an entirely new level. It was a sport for her, seeing how many supposedly faithful husbands she could turn from their wives.

Luckily for Tear, Veronica's mannerisms irritated Luke to no end. But unfortunately, that was not enough to make her leave him alone. If anything, she seemed to take it as a challenge. Tear had absolute faith in Luke's loyalty to her, but that did not make it any less irritating when Veronica made poorly-disguised passes at him.

A feeling of intense horror struck Tear when Veronica noticed her across the crowd and changed direction toward her. She wanted to run, but had no desire to give the vile woman that kind of satisfaction. Instead she stood her ground, meeting Veronica's stare and holding it defiantly.

The escort of guards held back a little ways, while Veronica and the two other noblewomen approached Tear. Veronica never went anywhere without at least two other women of her same social status trailing behind. Veronica's flunkies, Tear referred to them as in her head (and to Luke, who found it vastly amusing).

"Tear, darling!" Veronica called when she got close, "How nice, running into you like this."

Tear matched Veronica's expression, both the false smile and the cold hatred in her eyes. "Indeed it is," Tear responded, trying to match the disgustingly pleasant tone of Veronica's voice.

"Oh," Veronica cried, making herself look shocked, "But where is your dear husband? It's unusual to see you two apart. I hope you're not having any sort of problems? That would be simply _dreadful_."

Tear fought hard to keep her irritation out of her voice. "Oh no, no need to worry about that. I assure you there are no problems between us. He's still asleep, you see, and I thought I'd go for a walk. What about your husband? It's unusual to see you two _together_."

Veronica's smile faltered, but it was so slight that Tear thought she might have imagined it. "Oh, well, my husband is rather busy, you see. He's an important man, and doesn't have time to spare by sleeping in."

Tear's irritation increased, but she refused to let it show. It was exactly what Veronica wanted, and she knew it.

For a few seconds the two women silently stared each other down, both still with smiles plastered to their faces. Veronica seemed to be hoping that Tear would snap, but when it became apparent that she would not, she lost interest.

"Well, it's been pleasant seeing you," Veronica assured her, "But I must take my leave. I have things to do myself, you know. No time for idle chit-chat. Good day to you!" And with that, she turned her back to Tear and walked away, making a show of looking as graceful and ladylike as possible. Her flunkies and guards followed faithfully behind.

As soon as they were all out of sight, Tear entered the coliseum and watched several fights, imagining every slain monster was Veronica.


	5. Travel

Author's Note: It should be noted that I changed a couple things in the last chapter. Namely, the letter from Guy (because I realized I messed up my time frame), and the description of Veronica (because it sucked). So go back and reread said parts if you want a full understanding of what's going on.

Also, please do not hesitate to tell me of any spelling, grammar, or consistency errors you find in my writing. I very much want to know if they're there so I can fix them.

And reviewers, you are still awesome.

And the site needs to hurry up and be fixed; this whole not being able to submit documents thing is very uncool.

* * *

"Shouldn't they be here by now?" Luke asked, the familiar hint of a whine in his voice. "I'm sick of standing here." 

"They're only a few minutes late," Tear responded briskly. "Be _patient_, Luke."

"Make me."

Natalia smiled to herself as her friends bickered lightheartedly. She made no effort to intervene, knowing that the two of them would easily work it out on their own. Instead she continued to watch the skies above the water that stretched endlessly away from Baticul Port. Before long a speck appeared on the horizon, quickly growing into the shape of a familiar airship.

"Here they come now," Natalia announced, indicating the distant vehicle.

Luke and Tear turned their attention away from each other to watch the Albiore II make its approach. In only seconds it was close enough to hear the whirring of its engine. Its propellers turned downward as the vehicle dipped and landed gracefully on the water's surface. It slid effortlessly over the water the rest of the way into port, coming to stop at the perfect distance from the pier for allowing passengers on or off. It was a landing that showed off the incredible skill and experience of the pilot.

No sooner had the hatch opened when a black-haired girl came bounding out to meet them. "Hey guys!" she cried, coming to a halt in front of Luke.

Luke laughed; at nineteen, she still hadn't lost any energy. "Hey Anise," he said cheerfully, "Fon Master yet?"

Anise's demeanor immediately changed; her smile fell into a scowl, and she crossed her arms indignantly. "No. The old folks in Daath are having a fit over the idea. Some of them think Florian should be Fon Master, since he technically has the abilities of one already. But he's even more out of it than Ion was! Besides, he wants nothing to do with it. Mohs traumatized him by forcing him to read the Score."

As quickly as it had gone, Anise's chipper expression returned. "But don't worry about me. My cuteness will win them all over eventually!"

"I have no doubt," Tear said amusedly. "Now, we'd better get going. We don't want to arrive any later than we have to."

* * *

A flight from Baticul to Grand Chokmah used to take several days at least, but Aston had made upgrades on the Albiore since the time it was used in the effort to save the world. Those upgrades, coupled with Noelle's expert piloting skills made it possible to make the flight in only a day. But it required leaving early and arriving late, and being trapped in an enclosed space for all the time in between. 

By the time they reached the palace at Grand Chokmah, it was well into the night. Guy came out to greet them. He had wanted to come with Noelle to pick them all up, since he reveled in any opportunity to fly in the Albiore. However, Emperor Peony had come up with other jobs for him to do, so he had been unable to come.

"GUY!"

Guy barely had time to realize that his friends were there before Anise all but pounced on him. "Did you miss me?" she asked sweetly from on his back.

"Gaah!" Guy cried out and hastily shook the woman off of him.

"Oh, come on!" Anise complained. "Don't tell me you _still_ haven't gotten over that!"

"Hey, it's not that easy!" Guy said defensively. "And it has gotten better."

Natalia spoke up next. "Guy, it's nice to see you again. I'm sorry I missed you in Baticul."

"Nah, don't be," Guy assured her. "You were busy, and I wasn't there for very long. But yeah, it's nice to see you, too."

For a few seconds Guy looked uncertain of himself, then he held out his hand toward Natalia. She looked a bit surprised at first, then smiled and reached out to shake it.

"I see you have recovered a little," Natalia commented.

Guy smiled sheepishly and looked about to respond, but he was not given the chance.

"Well isn't this nice, seeing everyone get along so well."

They all turned to see a familiar man in a blue uniform standing in the entrance of the palace.

"Hey Jade," Luke greeted him. "I guess we're all back together again, huh?"

"Oh?" Jade responded. "But where's Anise?"

"Colonel!" Anise cried indignantly, "I'm right here!"

Jade looked down at her, feigning shock. "Oh, I'm sorry Anise. I didn't see you down there."

Anise put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "I've grown taller. But I see you haven't changed at all. You're as mean as ever."

"I'm terribly sorry," Jade replied, not a hint of remorse in his voice. "In my old age, I'm afraid I've become quite set in my ways."

"Well, shall we be going inside?" Tear chimed in. "It's been a while since we've seen the emperor. It should be interesting to talk to him again."

Everyone turned to stare at her, and she blushed, uncomfortable with all the attention. "...What?"

"You just want to see his rappigs again," Anise teased.

Tear's blush deepened. "N-no, that's not it..."

Luke smiled at her fondly. "Alright, let's go inside. Just remember, you're not allowed to take any of them home."

* * *

After speaking with Emperor Peony for a bit (and visiting his rappigs), the members of the group split up and headed to their separate rooms. The party (which the emperor refused to give details on) would take place the next day, and they were all given rooms to stay at in the palace for the night. 

Tear entered the room that she and Luke were to stay in. She examined the various decorations throughout it, vaguely curious if there was a story behind any of them. Luke came into the room behind her and took a quick glance around, but didn't seem to take any of it in.

Tear suddenly felt tired. Very tired. She looked at the bed, but could not seem to bring herself to move towards it. She stared at the intricate patterns on the sheets, and thought to herself that it was a bit odd when the lines began to blur and shift...

"Tear!"

Luke's panicked cry snapped her out of a state of half-consciousness that she didn't even realize she had entered. Luke was beside her now, with one arm around her for support. When all her senses returned she realized that she was leaning all her weight on him; had he not been there to catch her, she would have fallen to the floor.

The moment of dizziness gone, Tear stood on her own and repositioned herself so that she was facing Luke, who regarded her with a look of incredible concern.

"Tear, what happened?" he demanded, his voice fraught with worry. "What's wrong?"

The experience had somewhat shaken Tear, but she kept her voice level. "I'm not really sure. I felt a bit lightheaded, but it's gone now. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about."

Luke did not look at all convinced. "But you almost passed out! How can I not worry?"

"I'm just tired from all the traveling," Tear insisted. "I should be fine in the morning."

"You've been tired a lot lately," Luke pointed out, still unconvinced. "Are you sure you're not getting sick or something?"

"Luke, really, I'm fine. I don't feel sick at all. Just a bit tired."

Luke gave up arguing, but none of the concern left his features. "Okay. But make sure you get some rest, alright? And please, don't push yourself. If something doesn't feel right, _tell me_."

Tear smiled a little. She hated making him worry about her, but it was nice to see how much he cared. "I know. I will."

* * *

Luke lay wide awake, watching the woman that slept soundly beside him. He was exhausted, but could not calm his mind long enough to achieve sleep. 

He tried so hard to tell himself that whatever was wrong with Tear was probably trivial, but his imagination would not allow him to extinguish the doubts that plagued him. He kept thinking up horrible things that could happen to her.

Whatever she had, it did not appear to be a common cold. And it was possible that she had more symptoms than what he saw, but she was not sharing them. He sighed, wondering why he even bothered telling her not to push herself. He supposed it was in the hope that someday she might actually listen to him.

His mind kept wandering back to when she was sick with the miasma. There was no reason to believe that she was somehow contaminated again, but the damage had been done. The doctor had mentioned the miasma was weakening her organs. If that was true, even though she was cured there might have been permanent damage. What if she had been injured worse than anyone thought, and it was just now catching up with her...?

No. There was no reason to believe it was anything that serious. She was fine. Everything would be fine. They had been through too much in order to be together. Nothing would tear them apart now.

But what if...?

Luke strove to get his mind off the horribly negative track it was stuck on. Thinking about Tear's death made him physically sick, and did nothing for his mental stability. He was being paranoid, a condition which he seemed prone to at night. He was sure his exhaustion was not helping at all either.

He focused his attention away from his thoughts and back to her physical form. As he listened to the gentle sound of her breathing, a desperate plea raced through his mind.

_Tear, please be okay... I don't know what I'd do if I lost you..._


	6. The Bird and the Fish

"I'm _not_ wearing that."

Tear glared at the dress she held out in front of her.

"Aw, c'mon Tear," Luke encouraged her, "Emperor Peony had it made just for you."

"That makes it all the more disturbing."

"What's wrong with it? It looks fine to me."

Tear tossed the offending clothing onto the bed. "I wouldn't look good in it."

"You'd look good in anything," Luke insisted, the sincerity in his voice causing her heart to flutter momentarily.

She quickly regained her composure and shot back, "Do you really want every guy there to be staring at my chest the entire time?"

Luke frowned as he thought about the idea. "No, not really."

"That's what I thought. Besides, what is this supposed to be, anyway? It looks like something a queen from a fairy tale would wear. A somewhat promiscuous queen..."

"That may be a pretty accurate guess," Luke replied as he rummaged through the package that had been delivered to their room.

Tear looked over at him questioningly and saw him holding up a plastic crown. It's design did indeed suggest it belonged to a queen.

"What the..?" Tear muttered as she took the crown from him and examined it curiously. "Is this going to be some kind of costume party?"

"It wouldn't surprise me, knowing the Emperor," Luke mused as he continued to search the package. "I guess this means I'm the king."

He held up an ornately decorated robe that also had a distinctly "fairy tale-ish" quality to it. "And I get a crown, too."

Tear could not help but laugh. "Are you actually going to wear that?"

Luke grinned playfully at her. "Why not? It could be fun. But I can't be a king without a queen..."

"You're going to be if you want to wear that ridiculous costume."

"Or I could find someone else to be my queen."

Tear started; his response caught her off-guard, and gave her the unwanted mental picture of Luke with another woman. A woman who looked disturbingly like Veronica. Tear gave Luke her best death glare. "Don't even joke about that."

Luke sensed the seriousness in her voice, and his smile fell. "Sorry..."

She looked away from him, and an awkward silence fell over the two of them.

"...Tear?" Luke asked timidly. When she did not reply, he became concerned. "You know I wasn't serious, right?"

Tear still did not respond. She knew she was being somewhat unreasonable, but she could not ignore the fact that the comment had stung. More than it should have, she admitted to herself. But the thought of him leaving her for someone else hurt and terrified her. And lately it seemed her emotions were particularly easy to trigger. Perhaps it was a part of being tired.

Luke dropped the robe haphazardly onto the floor, currently not caring what happened to it. He strode over to his upset wife, mentally cursing his stupidity. She was still turned toward him, but she was looking off to the side and did nothing to acknowledge him when he approached. He stood uncertainly in front of her for a moment, then threw his arms around her and held her against him.

For several seconds she did not react, but she found her angry quickly melting. She slowly lifted her arms to return the hug, and rested her head on his chest. He relaxed considerably, taking her movement as a sign that she had forgiven him, at least for the most part. Sometimes he forgot how sensitive Tear was, since she always worked to keep it hidden.

"I take it back," Luke told her earnestly. "I didn't mean it. I wouldn't ever want anyone besides you to be my queen."

Tear knew Luke was not trying to make fun of her, but the statement brought to light how ridiculous the whole situation was. Any lingering resentment she felt was suddenly gone, and she found herself laughing.

Relived that he had managed to get himself out of trouble, Luke smiled. "Was that too cheesy?"

Tear pulled back a little ways so she could meet his gaze. "Yes."

"But it worked, didn't it?" Luke said, smirking.

Tear shook her head at him, smiling. She moved away from him without answering and went back to where she had abandoned her dress. "Well, we'd better get ready. We're going to be late."

* * *

"This is supposed to be a party?" Luke asked, confused. "It looks more like..." 

"A fair," Tear finished for him, curiously examining the scene before them.

The two of them stood in a field just outside Grand Chokmah. The morning sun illuminated several rows of booths containing various shops and activities. The people in charge of the booths all wore costumes that made them look like they had just come out of a storybook. Tear was reminded distinctly of Nam Cobanda Isle, and wondered if Emperor Peony knew of its existence.

"Ah, there you are!" Speaking of the Emperor, he approached the two of them now.

Tear tried hard not to laugh, knowing it would be disrespectful. Emperor Peony was wearing the classic armor of a knight from popular fairy tales, minus the helmet, which he held under his right arm. He looked absolutely ridiculous, but did not seem to notice or care.

Peony was grinning broadly as he came to a halt in front of Luke and Tear. "What do you think? I see you both got the clothes I sent you."

"It looks like this should be an... interesting experience," Tear answered cautiously, not entirely sure what she felt about the whole situation.

"Well, you enjoy yourselves however you want. Just tell people who you are and they'll let you do or have anything for free. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go find Jade. It seems that his costume mysteriously didn't reach his room, so I need to deliver it personally. Have fun you two!" And with that, the enthusiastic emperor walked past them and towards the direction of the city.

"I'm not sure what I think of this," Tear said uncertainly. This day was not going at all how she had expected it to, and she still felt uncomfortable in the low-cut dress she was wearing.

"It looks like fun to me," Luke replied cheerfully. "Besides, everything is free!"

Tear looked at him curiously. "Since when have you been concerned about money?"

"Um... never. But free is still good."

She shook her head at him. "Whatever. Let's just head over there, shall we?"

Quite a few guests were already wandering about, many of them also in costume. There was a general feeling of excitement in the air, which raised Tear's spirits a little.

"What took you two so long?" a feminine voice demanded.

Anise appeared from behind a booth, attempting to look annoyed. However, it was difficult to take her seriously when her clothes were practically shedding blue sparkles and she had a pair of fairy wings strapped to her back.

"We, uh... had some trouble with the costumes," Luke replied, not wanting to explain how he had upset Tear.

Anise looked back and forth between the two of them, noticing that they both looked slightly uncomfortable with the question. Suddenly she brightened, and announced happily, "Wait, I get it! You two were having some 'alone time' in your room, weren't you? ...Oh, but you're only a couple minutes late. Jeez Tear, is Luke really that fast?"

"W-what?" Tear stammered, completely taken aback by the conclusion Anise had reached. "T-that's not... we weren't..."

"Oh, nevermind," Anise said, sparing Tear the embarrassment of coming up with a coherent response. "I should've known you would never talk about stuff like that."

Luke spoke up, anxious to change the subject. "Nice outfit, Anise."

Anise chose to ignore the sarcasm in his voice. "I know, aren't I the cutest fairy you've ever seen?" She moved up and down, causing the wings to flap and a cascade of blue sparkles to rain to the ground.

"Yeah," Luke teased, "that child's costume suits you perfectly."

"Hey!" she cried, "I'm not a child. In less than a year I'll be of age."

"You sure don't look it."

Anise glared at him. "Okay, fine, maybe I didn't get as big as Tear, but that doesn't mean-"

"Hey guys!"

Guy and Natalia approached from the same direction Anise had come. Guy was wearing white tights and a purple vest, while Natalia had on a light green dress. Tear wondered how Natalia could look so comfortable in her dress, since it was even more revealing than her own.

Luke examined them both for a minute, then spoke. "Okay, so Guy's supposed to be a prince. But what is Natalia supposed to be?"

Guy shrugged. "The only thing we could come up with was a princess."

"Oh," Luke replied, "that's kind of..."

"Lame," Anise cut in. "I guess the Emperor ran out of ideas."

Natalia looked down at her dress uncertainly. "Oh, is it lame? I didn't think it looked that bad..."

"Not at all," Guy replied before anyone else could speak. "Anise was just referring to the Emperor not being able to come up with something for you to be other than what you already are. You look great in that dress."

Natalia blushed slightly. "Thank you, Guy."

"Guy," Anise put in, "you're evil."

"Huh?" Guy turned toward her, confused. "What did I-?"

Suddenly Guy stopped, and his attention turned to something behind the others, back in the direction of the city. For a moment he stared in shock, then he burst into laughter, startling his companions.

Natalia followed his gaze and found what he was looking at. "Oh dear, is that...?"

Overcome with curiosity, the others turned to see what Guy found so hilarious. Before long, Luke was laughing as well and Anise was giggling. Tear continued to scan the crowd, not finding what the others had. There were plenty of people in silly costumes around, so what could possibly have caused them to-?

And then she saw him. Standing at the edge of the "fairground" was Jade. As usual, he was straight-backed with hands in his pockets. He stood with all the dignity he possessed when he wore his military uniform.

Except he was not wearing his military uniform. Jade the Sarcastic Wonder was dressed as a jester.

"Hello there," Jade greeted them casually when the group approached.

"Lookin' good, Jade," Guy snickered as he indicated the man's brightly-colored costume.

Jade turned to look at Guy, sporting his regular sardonic grin. "It would seem this is the Emperor's idea of a joke."

"I think it fits you perfectly," Anise sneered.

Jade turned his head toward Anise, causing the three bells on his hat to jingle. He paid no mind to it. "As your costume suits you, dear little Anise."

Anise sighed in frustration. "When are people going to stop saying things like that?!"

"Hey guys," Luke spoke up, "I'll be right back, okay?"

Luke walked away, presumably in the direction of the restrooms. Anise watched him leave, and the moment he was out of earshot she rounded on Tear, causing the woman to start.

"So, Tear," Anise said slyly, "I haven't had a chance to talk to you since the wedding. What's it like, being married to Luke?"

"Oh, um..." Tear shifted uncomfortably as she tried to come up with a good response for the question. "It's... strange."

"Strange?" Anise looked somewhat disappointed. "That doesn't sound very good. Luke would probably be sad if he heard you talking like that."

"No, no, I don't mean it like that," Tear said hastily. Her mind raced as she attempted to come up with a way to explain her current dilemma. "It's not that I don't like being with him. It's just... being a noble is really unusual for me. It just feels... awkward. And I'm not doing a very good job of it either."

"Hmm, I wondered if this would be a problem," Jade commented, sounding completely unsympathetic. "You want to be with him, but you don't want to be a noble, correct? You probably would have been better off as his mistress than his wife."

Tear was relatively sure Jade was teasing her, but she wished he did not sound so serious when he did it.

"It's not fair," Anise pouted. "I would have _loved_ to marry into money, but instead I'm working my butt off in the Order. And Tear, she doesn't even care about the money, yet she married into it anyway and hates it!"

"I don't _hate_ it," Tear insisted. "I just..." She trailed off, no longer sure herself what she was trying to say.

"Hey, don't worry about it," Guy said encouragingly. "No one's born a noble." He seemed about to continue, then stopped, frowned, and shook his head. "...Wait, that didn't make sense. I mean, no one's born knowing how to act like a noble. But you'll get used to it eventually. It's not that bad."

"I'm here as well," Natalia added, smiling. "I can try to aide you if you are having difficulties. We are family now, after all."

_Family..._ Tear smiled appreciatively at Guy and Natalia. "Thank you. I will remember what you have said."

"Why does everyone look so serious?" Luke questioned as he strode back over to his companions. "This is supposed to be a party. Let's go have fun!"

* * *

The group of six wandered around together for a while, but before long they split up into their usual pairs. Anise tagged along behind Jade, refusing to let him forget that he was wearing an absurd costume and teasing him when he stopped at a booth that served alcohol. Guy and Natalia went off to find something to eat, and Luke found himself dragged over to the section designed for entertaining children. 

"Tear," Luke muttered, "I think you're scaring some of the parents."

Tear did not respond. In fact, it did not seem she had even heard him. She was watching two children in costume play, and seemed to be in a trance.

"Tear!" Luke cried in exasperation. When she still did not respond, he nudged her gently.

Finally she came back to reality and turned to face him. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did you say something?"

Luke sighed. "I said, you're making people nervous."

"Why? I'm not doing anything wrong."

"Yeah, but how would you feel if some random stranger was staring at your kids like that?"

"I suppose you're right," Tear responded, flushing. "But they're just so-"

"I know," Luke interrupted, smiling to show that he meant it kindly.

"I guess we could go somewhere else now. ...Wait, what's going on over there?"

Luke shook his head, but obediently followed as she wandered over to whatever had caught her attention.

A circle of children was seated around a man who was holding a copy of Fairy Tales of Auldrant. The man was enthusiastically reading a story from the book, captivating the children around him.

"...And then the liger said, 'All the better to eat you with!' And ate her up. The end."

Tear frowned, then turned to face Luke. "Have you ever wondered why children's stories have such morbid endings?"

Luke shrugged. "I never really thought about it. And to tell the truth, I don't know many children's stories."

_Oh, right,_ Tear reminded herself, _Luke didn't have a childhood..._

"You know," Luke said, interrupting her thoughts, "a little while ago I heard someone say something about a fighting tournament. I kinda wanted to go check it out."

"Oh, but look!" Tear pointed to a make-shift wooden stage that many of the parents were gathering around. "It looks like they're going to put on some kind of play."

"But... I really wanted to go see the tournament..."

"I'll never understand the appeal of treating fighting as entertainment."

"And I don't understand the appeal of watching a bunch of strangers' kids put on a crappy play."

"Luke!" Tear hissed, looking around to make sure none of the parents or children had heard him.

Luke thought for a moment before speaking again. "You know, we don't _have_ to be in the same place. You could stay here, and I could go watch the tournament, and we could just meet up later."

"I suppose..." Tear was a bit hesitant, but his proposal did make sense.

"Okay then." Luke was a bit more cheerful now that he was going to do something he actually wanted to do. "I'll see you a little later. Have fun."

"You too."

Luke came closer to give her a quick kiss before he headed off in the direction of the tournament. Tear watched him go, feeling oddly sad at his departure. As soon as he was out of sight she was struck with a pang of loneliness that she had not expected. Nothing sounded as enjoyable anymore, now that she was alone. She had the urge to run after him, but pride kept her where she was.

Nearby, the man with the book of fairy tales began another story, though she did not consciously acknowledge the fact.

"_Once upon a time, in a magical kingdom, there was a beautiful lake..._"

Tear's thoughts wandered to the conversation she'd had with her friends earlier. She remembered the comment that Jade had made, about how she would have been better off as Luke's mistress than his wife.

"_One day, a bird flew to the lake, seeking a companion, for the bird was very lonely..._"

She knew he had not meant it literally, but she could not help being distressed by the notion. What if he was right? What if it would have been better not to make their relationship public?

"_Before long, the bird met a fish. The fish was also lonely, and so the two of them quickly became close..._"

There had been a certain thrill in trying to hide it from Luke's parents. She had become quite the expert at sneaking in and out of his room. The security in the manor really was not what it could be.

"_Despite their differences, it was not long before the bird and the fish fell hopelessly in love..._"

Though apparently they had not been as sneaky as they thought. It turned out that Susanne had known they were together for some time, but had kept the information to herself. She had even helped hide it from the Duke, knowing he would try to keep them apart if he knew.

"_The bird and the fish wanted to be together forever, but that was impossible since they needed such different things to survive..._"

The memories were fond for her, but she could not say she regretted the decision to make their relationship official. It was a relief not having to hide anymore, or to have to pretend Luke was just a friend when they were in front of anyone besides their closest companions.

"_But they were in love, and were willing to try anything to be together..._"

Sure, they could have tried to just keep it a secret forever, but they would have been caught eventually. Besides, if she had not married him, Luke would have been expected to marry another so that he could have descendants to inherit the family name and fortune. Tear was certain she would not be able to handle being anywhere near Luke if he was also with another woman, even if he did not want to be.

"_There was no way the fish could fly, so the bird dove into the water, desperate to be with the fish..._"

But could she really do this? The words of Guy and Natalia had heartened her, but she was still haunted by doubts. She wondered if she would ever adjust completely.

"_The bird and the fish were together for a short while, but their happiness could not last. The bird drowned, unable to live for long in the habitat that the fish thrived in..._"


	7. The Last Straw

She would be fine. She would wear the dress, she would converse with the other guests, she would act like a noble should. And she would _like_ it, dammit. ...Well, maybe that was pushing it a bit. She would at least not completely loathe it. _Start with what I _can _do..._

Tear mentally prepped herself as she dressed for the party she was being forced to attend. Unfortunately, it promised to be a traditional noble's gathering; nothing like Emperor Peony's "party" that they had attended only a few days ago. They were back in Baticul, preparing for a gathering at one of the nearby mansions. She was actually going to be expected to act proper.

And she would. Everything got easier with time. Supposedly a positive mental attitude would help. It couldn't hurt to try. She would go in there determined not to hate it, and see if it made her any less miserable.

"Is that really necessary?"

Tear's thoughts were interrupted by Luke's voice from across the room. He was also getting ready, but had stopped in the middle of what he was doing and was watching her skeptically.

She had been so lost in thought that she had not been paying much attention to what she was doing physically, and was not sure what he was referring to. She looked at him quizzically, and he motioned to the object in her hand.

"The knives."

Sure enough, Tear was holding one of her trusty knives in her hand. The other one was already in the small holster strapped around her leg. She was so accustomed to carrying them that she no longer acknowledge putting them on as significant.

"What do you think is going to happen at the party?" Luke asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"You never know when or where danger could strike," Tear answered matter-of-factly. "It's best to always be prepared."

Luke looked about to press the subject, but apparently decided it was not worth the effort. He shrugged it off and went back to dressing himself.

In truth, the fear of danger had little to do with it. Tear was so used to carrying the knives that she would feel anxious without them. They were a source of security for her, and she needed all the security she could get if she was going to get through the night without cursing the world.

* * *

So far it was going well. As well as it could, anyway. Tear could not say she was enjoying herself, but at least she was managing. She kept assuring herself that it all really wasn't so bad. And it really wasn't, when she put it in perspective. She was hopeful about the future. 

A few times her resolved faltered, but it was not difficult to get reaffirmation of what she was doing it all for. She had only to tighten her grip on Luke's arm, or move a little closer to him, or even just look at him the right way and he would usually reward her with some small show of affection, whether it was a smile or a kiss or a hand on her cheek. She had trained him well.

"There you are, darling! I was hoping you would come."

A stab of horror struck Tear; she would recognize that voice anywhere. She watched helplessly as Veronica approached, looking as stunning as ever, her faithful flunkies in tow.

Tear prepared herself for the greatest test of will that she would have to endure. She knew Veronica made a special effort to get on her nerves; it seemed her goal to make Tear either do something rash that would cause her to be outcast, or to just make her give up on being a noble altogether. If Tear could get to the point where Veronica's words and actions no longer bothered her, it would be a satisfying victory.

Determined not to let the other woman get the better of her, Tear smiled as genuinely as she could. "It's a pleasure."

Veronica smiled pleasantly at her. "Oh, but it is. We spoke a couple weeks ago, didn't we? I trust you're still doing well?"

"Indeed. Very well."

"Wonderful." Veronica turned her attention to Luke, and Tear did not like the glint in her eyes. "It's been a while since we spoke, hasn't it? I assume you're also doing well?"

As she spoke, Veronica moved close to Luke. Very close. Tear fought the pang of jealousy that threatened to strike.

Luke was clearly uncomfortable, but Veronica pretended not to notice. "Um, yeah, I'm good," he managed as he edged backwards.

"Excellent," Veronica replied, finally moving back a little ways. "Well, you two enjoy yourselves. I'd love to chat but I need to make sure I catch Viscount Rithel before he leaves. So long."

"Goodbye," Tear responded, relieved the woman was not planning to stay longer.

"What is her _problem_?" Luke murmured to Tear as he watched Veronica slip away into the crowds of people.

Tear was heartened by Luke's obvious repulsion at Veronica's behavior, and she smiled in amusement. "I think she was trying to seduce you."

"Ugh. Don't make me sick."

"Well, it seems to work on a lot of guys. She is very pretty."

Luke turned to Tear and smiled warmly. "Why would I be tempted by her when I'm married to someone ten times prettier?"

Tear faltered, unsure of how to respond. The comment made her feel good, but it was not in her nature to show that it had. Finally she settled on, "You've spent way too much time with Guy."

Luke was unfazed; he had been with her long enough to know that his words had affected her. "But it's true."

"You seem to be the only one that thinks that way."

"Then everyone else is blind."

He sounded so insistent that she could not help but laugh. "Seriously, stop hanging around Guy. You sound foolish."

Luke huffed in mock indignation. "Fine, see if I compliment you again."

She smiled wryly. "That's more like it."

"Well, in any case, I need something to drink. What about you?"

Tear shook her head. "I'm fine for now. Though if Veronica comes back I may need something."

Luke laughed. "I'll go grab something. Be back in a second."

"All right."

It occurred to Tear only after Luke left that she probably would have been better off just going with him. She did not particularly like the idea of having to socialize on her own. Maybe if she just stood quietly near the edge of the room no one would approach her...

"Oh good, you didn't go anywhere!"

No such luck. If she were more prone to the action, Tear could have cried. Of all the people there, it had to be Veronica who came back to speak to her.

"Hello again," Tear greeted her, hoping she sounded a lot less bitter than she felt.

"Hello, dear," Veronica responded, then glanced around as if she were afraid someone would overhear. When she spoke again she had lowered her voice. "There's something I've been meaning to say to you, and since I caught you alone I'll say it now."

If she were less familiar with Veronica's antics, Tear may have actually believed that the concern in her voice was authentic. "What is it?"

"I just wanted to say, I'm terribly sorry. I know it must be hard for you, living with your husband and his... condition."

Tear's expression of false cheerfulness was replaced by genuine confusion. "Condition?"

"You know." Veronica looked shocked that Tear was not following. "The fact that he's..." She glanced around again before lowering her voice further and finishing with, "...a _replica_."

The statement was so ridiculously uncalled for that at first Tear did not know whether to laugh or be offended. It had been well-known in the community for years that Luke was a replica. Just the fact that she was acting secretive about it was, in itself, an insult. Luke had dealt with his fair share of prejudice among the other nobles, but most of them had since gotten bored of giving him a hard time and moved onto gossiping about more recent scandals.

As the full implications of Veronica's words sank in, Tear lost the desire to laugh. She found herself suppressing a rage that she was rarely driven to feeling. Using all her willpower to keep that rage from entering her voice, Tear responded, "It's not a _disease_. I assure you I'm just fine. And so is he."

"Oh, of course darling. I understand." Veronica spoke in a voice she might have used to humor a five-year-old.

Tear was tired, uncomfortable, anxious, and distressed. The last thing she needed was someone bringing up such a sensitive topic. And mocking her for it, no less. She should have just walked away, but she was in no mood to take crap from anyone, least of all Veronica.

"I don't think you do," Tear hissed, barely even trying to hide her annoyance anymore. "There's nothing _wrong_ with Luke, so your 'sympathy' is very misplaced."

"It's all right, I know how you must feel." Veronica was still using the same irritating tone of voice. "I would be in denial too, if I knew my husband was part of an inferior speci-"

A woman screamed, but it wasn't Veronica; she was too in shock to voice her own terror. In the amount of time it would have taken her to finish the last word of her sentence, Veronica had been thrown to the ground and had a knife held against her neck.

Tear loomed over her, eyes flashing dangerously. When she spoke, her voice was frighteningly calm. "Take that back."

The façade was dead. Neither woman retained even a trace of the faked pleasantness that they had both clung to only seconds before. The crowd around them had fallen deathly silent, watching the scene unfold in horrified fascination.

Veronica recovered from shock, and broke the silence with her hysterical cries. "What are you all doing?! Don't just stand there, get this madwoman _away from me!_"

"Tear!"

Someone grabbed Tear's arm and pulled it away from Veronica. Tear wanted to lash out, to hurt whoever dared stopped her from enacting justice, but she quickly recognized the touch and succumbed to it. She did not object when Luke slipped both the knives out of her hands.

"What happened?!" Luke held the knives in one hand and placed the other under Tear's chin, moving her head up so that she would be forced to look at him. His eyes were desperate.

Tear stared up at him blankly. She was in a daze, not fully aware of what she had done or what was going on around her. The more she tried to concentrate on her surroundings, the more her head spun. She vaguely noted that the crowd had erupted into conversation before she lost her ability to stand and collapsed onto Luke.

"Tear! _Tear_! Dammit, don't do this to me..."

The last thing Tear heard before she blacked out completely was Veronica's voice.

"How pathetic. I knew she could never be refined. Once a soldier, always a soldier."


	8. Admitting the Truth

Author's Note: It was brought to my attention that I made it horribly unclear where the party was located. They're back in Baticul. I added a line at the beginning of the last chapter explaining that. Sorry for any confusion.

_

* * *

Please wake up... please wake up..._

Luke stared helplessly at the unconscious form of his wife, silently begging her to get better. He watched her breathe in and out, filled with the irrational fear that she would suddenly stop.

He tried to mentally calm himself down, but it was in vain; his head still spun from the shock of how quickly everything had happened. Not only that, but he still had no idea what had set her off in the first place. After she had passed out, he did not stick around to hear the story; his only concern was getting her out of there and to somewhere he knew she would be safe.

Not knowing what else to do, he had brought Tear home and back to their own room. He had laid her down on her side of the bed and was kneeling on his, watching her in a state of transfixion and desperately trying to figure out what would provoke her to act as rashly as she did.

Tear was not a violent person. She would fight and even kill if she had to, but he had never known her to do it without reason. If Veronica had somehow physically threatened her he would understand, but he could not imagine the pompous woman having the courage to do anything of the sort.

So what had caused it? He knew Veronica was aggravating, but Tear was level-headed and good at acting calm even if she did not feel it. Under normal circumstances, anyway. She _was_ being overly-sensitive lately...

The woman before him moaned quietly, bringing him back to reality.

"Tear?" he asked hopefully.

To Luke's extraordinary relief, Tear slowly opened her eyes and looked over at him. She regarded him with a look of utter confusion. "...Luke? What happened?"

His expression remained one of concern. "I was hoping you could tell me that."

Tear sat up, but the sudden movement made her dizzy again and she dropped her head into her hands. Luke noticed this and moved a little closer to her, as if his proximity could somehow make her feel better.

She raised her head again, more slowly this time. Having achieved this she turned her gaze once more to Luke, still looking vaguely lost.

"I brought you here," he explained, hoping to alleviate her confusion, "after you passed out at the party..."

A look of understanding passed over Tear's face, quickly followed by surprise and then shame. She looked away from Luke and hung her head.

"You remember now, don't you?" he questioned timidly.

She nodded in response, but did not raise her head or say a word.

"Tear, please tell me what happened." Luke's tone was as gentle as he could make it; he did not want to say anything that would upset her further. "Why did you...?" He trailed off, unsure of a tactful way to put what she had done.

Silenced reigned for several seconds before Tear spoke up. A hint of bitterness was apparent in her voice. "She said you were inferior, because you're a replica."

Luke stared at her in disbelief. He was not sure what he had expected her to say, but that was not it. He had not realized she was so defensive of him being a replica. A part of him was touched by the sentiment, but at the same time he was greatly concerned; it was not like her at all to react so violently to a petty insult.

"Was that it?" The moment Luke said the words, he regretted them; in his shock he had forgotten his understanding tone, and the phrase came out sounding like an accusation. Tear flinched visibly, and he had the sudden desire to slap himself. He did his best to regain his previous tone of voice before continuing. "It's unlike you to let people get to you like that."

Luke's comment was met with silence. He realized that he would need to be more assertive if he wanted to find out what was really going on. "Tear, I know something's been bothering you. Tell me what's going on."

"There's nothing 'going on,'" Tear replied, though her voice was not as confident as it usually was. "I just haven't been feeling well lately."

A sense of mild annoyance came over Luke. "You said you felt fine before. Was that a lie?"

"I-I..." Tear stammered, but she could think of no good response; she had been caught.

"Remember when you made me promise not to keep stuff from you anymore?" She nodded, and Luke continued. "And remember how I asked you to make the same promise a couple years ago?" She nodded again, more slowly this time. "Can you honestly say you haven't been keeping anything from me?"

Tear sighed in resignation before speaking. "No, I can't. I'm sorry, Luke."

"That's okay." He was relieved that she was finally starting to be honest about it. "But... can you please tell me now?"

Once again there was silence, but this time it was because Tear was considering her response. Finally she turned to face Luke, her expression unreadable to him. "Luke, do you... _like_ being a noble?"

It was Luke's turn to take a few moments to come up with a response. "I never thought much about it before. I mean, I have thought a lot about who I am, and a little about what it means to be a noble, but it terms of _liking_ it... I guess I do. I'm pretty used to it, and it would be hard for me to live otherwise." Satisfied with his answer, he looked at Tear inquisitively. "Why do you ask?"

Her expression changed to one of sadness, and what appeared to be a hint of guilt. "Because _I_ don't."

It took Luke a moment to process what she said, and connect it back to the question she had asked of him. When he finally did, he frowned. "Yeah, you did mention that you don't like dressing up and stuff. That is kind of an important part of being a noble."

"It's not just that," Tear informed him sadly.

"What else, then?"

She paused a moment to give him an almost apologetic look before replying. "Everything."

"Everything?" Luke attempted to process what exactly her response meant, but was unable to grasp the gravity of it.

"It's more then just the clothes. I'm not comfortable having servants do my duties for me, or living in such extravagance. Even those I could probably adjust to, but the fact remains that the other nobles hate me. Including your father."

"My father doesn't hate you!" Luke cried, though his eyes were not as confident as his voice. "Yeah, he's still kinda mad that I refused to marry Natalia, and he can be pretty harsh sometimes, but I'm sure he doesn't _hate_ you."

"Even if that's true, there's still everyone else." The sadness in Tear's eyes deepened as she continued. "I mean, I suppose I'm used to being an outcast. Growing up I never had many friends. But at least I was not forced to constantly socialize with those who despised me."

Luke regarded her with sympathy while he tried to come up with a response. After a moment he asked tentatively, "Are you really that miserable?"

Tear closed her eyes for several seconds before opening them again and replying, "Yes."

A sickening dread came over Luke; he felt like he had failed an important task. Tear was _miserable_. Because she was married to _him_.

Evidently his turmoil was apparent, because Tear quickly spoke up again. "Luke, please don't blame yourself. You are not the problem."

"But if you hadn't ever married me, you wouldn't have to-"

"Luke!" He immediately fell silent at her admonishment. "Don't you dare talk like that. How many times do I have to tell you how pointless it is hypothesize about if certain events never happened?"

"I know, I know," replied her distraught husband. "But, it is true that all of this is happening because you're with me..."

"Would you rather we hadn't been married?"

"No!" The response was almost automatic. "I can't imagine being with anyone else."

Tear smiled, though her eyes were still sad. "Neither can I. I do not regret marrying you."

Now Luke was confused. "But you're unhappy..."

"A part of me is. But another part is happier than I can ever remember being."

"I don't understand..."

Tear sighed in what Luke would have assumed was annoyance, except that none of it was present on her face. After a moment's consideration she leaned forward and shifted positions so that she could comfortably rest her head on his shoulder. She remained that way for a few seconds before she spoke. "I love you, Luke. I'm happy to be with you in a way that doesn't require keeping secrets from everyone else. I don't like being a noble, but I do like being with you."

Luke wrapped both his arms around Tear and rested his head against hers. "But I don't want just part of you to be happy. I want you to be completely happy." A thought occurred to him. "You're only a noble because I am. I could give it up, and the two of us could go live somewhere else. You know, start a 'normal' life. If that's what you want. I might have a little trouble at first, but it would be worth it if you didn't have to be miserable anymore."

Though the prospect did sound pleasing, Tear shook her head, never lifting it from his shoulder. "Luke, you know you can't. Where would that leave your parents? The duchy? The only reason your father allowed us to be married was because he was afraid of losing you as an heir if you ran off."

"I know," he replied dejectedly. "But what else can I do for you?"

"I don't-" Tear abruptly cut herself off before finishing the sentence. She closed her eyes and pressed herself against Luke, whimpering slightly.

Alarmed by her unusual behavior, he moved his head so that he could look at her. "Tear, what's wrong?"

"I don't... feel well..." she replied quietly, an admission she never would have made a few years ago.

The worry Luke had felt for her earlier returned, stronger this time; it appeared she was both mentally and physically unwell.

He had no idea what they would do about her dilemma, but at least he knew where to start with her physical symptoms. "Tomorrow we're taking you to the doctor."

Tear opened her eyes and seemed about to protest, but she caught the look of determination on Luke's face and decided not to argue. It probably was for the best that she get herself checked out anyway. She nodded in consent.

"That wasn't a question," Luke said in response to the gesture, smiling slightly to show that he meant it affectionately. "Now get some sleep. It's late, and you probably need it."

Reluctantly, Tear pulled away from him. She would rather just have gone to sleep the way she was, but she was still wearing her dress and needed to get into something more comfortable if she was going to get any decent rest.

Luke moved to change as well, as he was also still in his party clothes. He finished before her and lay down on the bed. She joined him a minute later, sliding over to be close to him. He got the hint and once again took her into his embrace.

Just when sleep was about to overcome him, Tear's voice stirred him.

"Luke?"

"Hmm?"

She gave him an odd smile. "You didn't say it back."

"Huh?" Luke stared at her in obvious confusion, hoping she would elaborate.

But she did not. She merely shook her head, though she was still smiling. "Never mind. Good night."

Luke spent a good five minutes replaying their conversation in his head, trying to figure out what she was referring to. He was rewarded a sense of triumph when he finally found his answer.

"Hey, Tear?"

"Yes?"

"I love you, too."


	9. Diagnosis

Author's Note: -ahem- If you're looking for some kind of hentai scene, you're going to have to look elsewhere. Innuendo is as close as I get.

* * *

"Could you please wait outside?" 

The doctor was a bit frightened when the young noble glared at him in response to his query. It seemed an innocent enough request, and was not one that people usually reacted to with vehemence.

"I'm not going anywhere," Luke announced defiantly, planting his feet and daring the confused doctor to try and contradict him.

"Luke, please don't make a scene," his exasperated wife scolded him before addressing the doctor. "It's all right, he can stay. I don't mind."

The doctor eyed Luke suspiciously for a moment before shrugging and turning to prepare his various instruments for the examination.

That morning, earlier than Luke liked to be up and later than Tear liked to be, the two of them had roused themselves (or rather, Tear woke up and dragged Luke along with her), and had not wasted much time in getting over to Baticul's most medically advanced doctor's office. It was not quite up to par with the technology at the lab in Belkend, but it was nonetheless considered cutting edge. Luke had actually wanted to travel to Belkend, insisting that they get the best possible, but Tear had finally convinced him it was not worth the trip. She won the argument when she pointed out that if they went somewhere local they would get results much sooner. They technically should not have been allowed to meet such a prestigious doctor on such short notice with no appointment, but because of Susanne's condition he was well acquainted with the Fabre family and did not mind doing favors, though Tear was a bit uncomfortable accepting such a favor.

After a few basic tests for overall health, the doctor began asking Tear questions about the problems she had been experiencing. She answered to the best of her ability, with Luke chiming in if he thought he had anything useful to add.

"You say you've been having dizzy spells? And you've been feeling unusually tired?" Tear nodded, and the doctor continued with his battery of questions. "Have you noticed anything else out of the ordinary? Perhaps any emotional symptoms?"

Tear shook her head. Behind her Luke shifted anxiously; he was torn between the risk of angering his wife and the risk of not mentioning something that may be important to identifying her condition. Deciding nothing was worth the risk of the latter, he spoke up. "Actually, um, she's been... pretty moody lately."

As expected, Tear turned to scowl at him. He cowered a little at the look she gave him. "Come on Tear, I don't mean anything by it. But... you know it's true."

Tear opened her mouth to protest, thought for a minute, then turned back to the doctor instead, looking a little sheepish. "I suppose I have been overreacting a bit to certain situations lately."

"A bit?" Once again Luke's tendency to speak before thinking worked against him. He was given a harsher look this time, and he winced at the realization of his own stupid mistake. _I really need to learn when to keep my mouth shut_.

The doctor intervened before any kind of fight could ensue. "What do you mean exactly?"

Luke wisely decided that it was best to let Tear answer the question herself. He remained silent as she spoke. "It seems that words and situations are affecting me more strongly than they usually would. And I admit I have been more emotional as of late."

"I would like to run a few more tests. Is that all right with you?"

Tear gave her consent, and was subjected to several tests that were slightly more invasive than the last set. Afterward, the doctor left to process the information he had gathered, leaving Luke and Tear in the room alone.

A minute of uncomfortable silence passed, before Luke decided to break it. "Um, Tear... are you mad at me?"

Tear laughed as she turned to meet Luke's gaze, though there was a distinctly nervous sound to it. "No, I'm not mad. I understand you were just trying to help. Though I do wish you would consider how you word your statements."

"Yeah, I know."

The two of them engaged in idle conversation for the next twenty minutes or so in an attempt to stave off the boredom and nervousness that came from waiting for the results.

Finally the doctor returned, clutching a clipboard and grinning. Before the other occupants of the room could ask what was so amusing he turned to Tear. "Congratulations! You're pregnant."

"I'm... what?" She stared at the doctor in disbelief. It should not have been particularly surprising, considering the situation. Yet for some reason the possibility simply had not occurred to her. Having children was not something that she and Luke had ever seriously discussed. It was an unstated assumption that they would have them eventually; Luke needed an heir as much as his father did. But it had also been assumed that they had a few more years before they would have to deal with such a thing.

So much for that. Luke appeared to be struggling to take in the information as well; for a long while he simply stood, looking dazed, before he finally said, "So... there's nothing wrong with her, right? She's gonna be okay?"

"Well," the doctor replied, his grin fading back into a more professional expression, "I admit that I'm still a bit concerned about the fainting. But according to everything we've found here, yes, she's perfectly healthy."

An incredible sense of relief came over Luke. He found himself laughing at his previous worries. There he had been, afraid that she was _dying_, and it turned out she was just pregnant!

"Wait, _pregnant_?!" The immediate concern for Tear's health gone, Luke suddenly found himself under siege by an entirely new set of worries. _Oh man, I'm not ready to raise a kid..._

"Yes. She has been for about a month, it seems. That explains what she has been experiencing. It is perfectly common for pregnant women to experience many physical discomforts, such as tiredness and dizziness. However, as I mentioned, if it progressed to the point of fainting there may be something else aggravating her condition." Once again the doctor turned to Tear. "Have you perhaps been experiencing a lot of stress lately?"

It took Tear a moment to realize she was being spoken to. She had been staring at the opposite wall, lost in thought. When she noticed the doctor was looking at her she focused her gaze back on him. "What? Oh. Actually, yes, I have been rather stressed."

"My advice, then, is that you do whatever it takes to reduce your level of stress. Pass on responsibilities to someone else, let someone take of you. Whatever you need to do to help yourself relax. Experiencing high levels of stress over a prolonged period of time can be a health risk, both for you and your baby."

"I'll keep that in mind," Tear assured him. Though she had a feeling Luke would not let her forget anyway.

* * *

"Luke, are you all right? You haven't said a word since we left the doctor's." 

"Huh? Oh, right. Yeah, I'm fine."

In a somewhat uncharacteristic action, Tear giggled. "You look more distraught than you did when you thought I was sick."

"Do I? I'm not. I just... I don't know..." Luke had come away from the doctor's visit with incredibly mixed feelings. On one hand he was very glad that there was nothing seriously wrong with Tear. On the other he was now being haunted by thoughts of the many different ways he could screw up while raising a child. And more urgently, they needed to find a way to solve Tear's unhappiness with her current living conditions.

Tear was in a much brighter mood than her husband. She had been more concerned about her own health than she had been willing to admit, even to herself. Not only that, but after the initial shock of the information that she was pregnant had worn off, maternal instincts had set in. She found herself experiencing a growing sense of excitement at the concept of becoming a mother.

The two of them were walking through town, headed in the general direction of the manor, though neither of them seemed too anxious to get back.

"Luke, must you always be so pessimistic? Can't you just appreciate what you have instead of worrying what could go wrong?"

"I'm sorry, Tear. It's just, I'm trying to figure out what to do to help you not be so stressed out. That, and I'm worried you might get in trouble for what happened... last night."

Tear felt her good mood quickly being compromised; in the light of all that had happened in the past several hours, she had forgotten about the incident at the party. "I suppose all we can do is wait and see."

"Well, whatever happens," Luke said, stopping and turning to look at Tear protectively, "I'm not letting them lock you up."

"Is that so?" Tear stopped and turned as well. "And what do you plan to do if guards come for me? Beat them up and get yourself in trouble, too?"

"I don't know..." Luke admitted sheepishly. "But... dammit..."

"I appreciate the sentiment, but please promise me that if I do get in trouble you won't make the situation worse."

"But Tear," Luke protested, "It wouldn't be good for you, having to sit in a dungeon, even if it wasn't for very long."

The urgency in Tear's voice rose. "Luke, promise me."

"...Alright," Luke reluctantly conceded, "I promise I won't start anything if they try to take you away. But that doesn't mean I'll just sit by and watch. Maybe if I talked to Uncle..."

Tear sighed; Luke could certainly be persistent. She had already decided that if she got in trouble for what she had done, so be it. She did not want Luke calling in any more favors on her behalf. "We don't even know if anything will come of it. Try not to worry about it for now."

"I'll try not to."

Despite the obvious lack of confidence in Luke's voice, Tear decided to accept his response. She turned back in the direction they had been facing earlier and began walking again, Luke quickly falling into step beside her.

Another few minutes passed before Luke suddenly spoke up. "We could move."

Tear frowned at him. "If you're wanted for arrest, guards can chase you to other cities you know."

"Huh?" Luke stared at her in confusion for a moment before he realized that she had misunderstood him. He shook his head. "No, I didn't mean to get you out of trouble or anything. I just meant in general. Since you mentioned you don't like living in the manor."

"Oh, I see."

"Yeah. To tell you the truth, it makes me kind of uncomfortable, too." A familiar sadness crept onto his features. "Nothing will ever change the fact that everything there that's mine, including my parents, used to be Asch's."

"Luke, I thought you were past that..."

He shrugged and looked over at her apologetically. "I'm as past it as I'm going to be. It doesn't bother me like it used to. But if I really stop and think about it, it still kinda hurts. And honestly, sometimes I think my father would have preferred if Asch came back instead of me."

Tear immediately rounded on him. "How can you even say such a thing?!"

"If Asch had come back, he would've happily married Natalia. He wouldn't have put up a fight, like I did. You know how my father is. Do you think that's never occurred to him?"

"I see what you mean," Tear said, relenting slightly, "But I still can't believe that he would think anything so horrible. He said himself that he considers both of you his sons, and if that's true he shouldn't favor one over the other."

"Just because he shouldn't doesn't mean he doesn't."

"Well, if your father truly thinks that way then he is an idiot."

"You're right, he is an idiot." Tear looked startled by Luke's response, but he just grinned. "He thinks I married below myself. As far as I'm concerned, it's the other way around."

Tear smiled back at him. "Both our lives would be much simpler if he agreed with you."

"No kidding. ...Wait, how did we get on that topic in the first place?"

"You mentioned moving."

"Oh yeah! Anyway, I was thinking we could move into our own house. We wouldn't be giving up our nobility or anything, just living somewhere other than the manor. Just the two of us." He smiled somewhat nervously. "Well, I guess it'll be three before long. But that's what you want, isn't it? To live somewhere else?"

Tear allowed herself to indulge in a short daydream about the life Luke had just proposed before she responded. "Yes, it is what I want. But how are we going to buy a house? We don't have any money."

Luke preemptively cringed, already knowing Tear would not like his suggestion. "My parents have money..."

"No," she stated shortly, "I'm not living in a house your parents have to buy for us."

"Why not?" Luke asked plaintively. "We're depending on them now anyway."

"This is different," Tear insisted. "A house would be much more expensive than how we're living now. And really, I'm not comfortable with depending on them in the first place."

"I could get a job." Luke had convinced himself that moving would solve several of their problems, so he refused to give up on the idea.

"You have no work experience. Where could you get a job that would pay you enough to afford a house?"

He let out an aggravated sigh. "I don't know! Do you have any better ideas?"

Tear was a bit taken aback by the harshness of his tone, but it made her stop and considering the situation more seriously. "No, not really. Maybe it could work, if I got a job too-"

"No."

She stared at Luke confusedly, startled by his sudden interjection. "No? Why not?"

"Because if you get a job, you'll take it way too seriously and stress yourself out."

"So what am I supposed to do? Stay home and cook and clean for you?"

He frowned. "I didn't mean it like that. I just don't want you to overwork yourself."

"So what do you want me to do?"

"Stay home and let me take care of you," Luke said, his grin returning.

"Really?" Tear asked, sounding amused. "And I'm guessing I have no choice in the matter?"

"Nope. I'm going to make you relax whether you want to or not."


	10. Flowers

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay. I had finals, and then I was gone all weekend.

* * *

As it turned out, there was no need to test the validity of Luke's most recent promise to Tear. Veronica, despite the encouragement of many of her companions and followers, decided not to press charges for Tear's "unprovoked" attack. However, the decision was not made out of any sort of compassion, or regret for her words. She made a grand show of being "understanding," and claimed her reason for not pressing charges was because she knew that Tear "didn't know any better," because after all, she was "just a soldier, and unable to comprehend the rules of social conduct in more civilized society." 

Luke wasn't sure whether to be relieved that Tear would not be arrested, or angry at the obvious affront. Veronica was seeing to that it would be nearly impossible for Tear to be accepted into that section of society. As if her chances hadn't been slim enough already.

Tear tried to convince Luke not to let Veronica's actions get to him, though she knew she was hardly in any place to ask such a thing. Knowing that pointing out the obvious hypocrisy of the request would only hurt her, Luke chose not to and instead promised he would try his best to comply.

It had been several days since the visit to the doctor's, and the revelation that Tear was pregnant. Luke was still trying to figure out how to make his moving plan doable in a way that she would accept. He had spoken to his parents and they were for the idea, provided he found a way to make it work.

The mood in the manor was somewhat conflicted. On one hand, Tear's "unacceptable" behavior at the party cast a negative reflection on House Fabre as a whole. However, Luke made certain that everyone living and working at the manor knew what had really happened that night. His parents, while they did not approve of Tear's actions, were appreciative of her willingness to stand up for their son and understanding of her increased emotional state.

In fact, to Tear's incredible confusion, the Duke had begun to act nicer towards her. She sometimes even got the impression that he didn't dislike her. When she mentioned this to Luke, he came up with the most reasonable explanation; the Duke was glad that she was proving useful in carrying on the family name. He continued to say that, provided everything went well and the baby was born healthy, she would probably be completely accepted into the family, in his father's eyes. Luke was then promptly scolded for even suggesting that something could go wrong with their child.

That night there was scheduled to be another party with most of the same company that had attended the last one. It was a celebration of some sort, but Luke had not bothered to remember the details. Though he was expected to attend, he had no intention of doing so; he would not expose Tear to the kind of scrutiny she would receive if she attended such an event so soon after the last incident. He had other plans for her. Though she was not yet aware of it.

It was mid-afternoon. Tear was peacefully tending flowers in the courtyard when Luke practically ran up to her, grinning mischievously.

"Go get ready. We're leaving soon."

Tear stared at him blankly. "What? We are? I thought it did not begin for another three hours at least."

"We're not going to the party," Luke replied cheerfully.

"We're not?" A note of hope crept into Tear's voice. She really had not been looking forward to the event. "Where are we going then?"

"You'll see," was Luke's cryptic response.

"Luke, you know I'm not particularly fond of surprises." Tear had been taught to prepare ahead of time in any situation. It was unnerving not to know where she was going or what to expect.

"You're no fun," he complained, though he was still smiling. "Fine. We're going to Tataroo Valley."

"Really?" Her eyes lit up at the news. The two of them used to visit the valley frequently, but lately had not the time to make the trip. It had been deemed "their" place, and held many fond memories for both of them. "But how are we going to get there?"

"The Albiore," Luke said happily. "Noelle's waiting for us at the port whenever we're ready. I sent a letter to Sheridan a few days ago asking her to come."

"I had a feeling you were hiding something," Tear replied, finally returning his smile. "Alright, I'll be ready as soon as I can. In the meantime you go down to the port and apologize to Noelle for waiting so long to tell me and making her wait around."

Luke muttered something involving the word "domineering" but did as he was told.

* * *

It was night by the time they arrived in Tataroo Valley which, naturally, had been part of the plan. Noelle waited with the Albiore down by the entrance, assuring her two passengers that she had plenty of ways to pass the time and did not mind spending the night there. 

The moment Tear laid her eyes on the blooming selenia field she began to forget everything that had been bothering her. The place had a timelessness to it that made her feel like the rest of life had been put on hold, and would wait patiently for her return. She could spend as much time as she wanted in this peacefully little valley and not have to worry about missing out on a thing.

She was sure that was why Luke had brought her here. It was probably part of his plan to "make" her relax. Not that she minded. She never objected to coming to this place.

For a while Tear simply stood at the edge of the field, transfixed by the glowing white flowers that she had not realized she missed so badly. Luke remained a few steps behind, allowing her that time of quiet. He watched her fondly, noting how the moonlight made her glow almost as much as the flowers she so adored. He wondered for the millionth time what he had done right to get a woman like her to fall in love with him.

Luke stepped forward and walked past Tear, who turned her gaze to watch him as he slowly made his way to the center of the field. There he stopped, sat down, then lay back, placing his hands behind his head for support. As soon as he finished settling himself, Tear made her way over to him and sat down beside him.

The rest of the world finally slid away from Tear's mind completely. There was just her, Luke, and the selenias. And at that moment, there was nothing else she wanted.

A few more minutes of silence passed as the two watched the glistening flowers and the clear night sky. As usual, it was Luke who finally broke it.

"Hey Tear, can I ask you something?" His eyes never left the scenery before him.

"Of course," Tear replied simply, also not bothering to turn her gaze.

"I know this is kind of random," Luke said, sounding mildly amused at his own spontaneity, "But, five years ago, where did you think you would be right now?"

"We were still on our journey then, weren't we?" Tear smiled to herself at the memories that accompanied that thought. It was true that many unpleasant experiences had come to pass on what had turned into a journey to save the world, but many good things had occurred as well. Time had dulled the bad memories and amplified the good ones, leaving Tear with a mostly pleasant feeling when she thought back on her time fighting for her life with her friends, provided she did not dwell too long on how it ended.

"Yeah," Luke answered her question simply. By the tone of his voice she guessed that his opinion of the journey was about the same as hers.

"I'm not entirely sure," Tear admitted as she thought back. "I didn't often think about the distant future. I was mostly concerned with what was going on at the time. I suppose I just assumed that, provided the world was still around in five years, I would still be serving the Oracle Knights."

"Is that what you wanted?"

Tear was forced to stop and think again. "I don't think so. I wasn't dreading it or anything, but I wasn't very excited by the notion either. I think I wanted something more but wasn't sure what." Her smile widened as she continued. "I certainly did not imagine I would end up here. Well, maybe in a few daydreams, but I never seriously believed it."

"Daydreams?" Luke sounded intrigued. "About what?"

"You," Tear answered, and as she did so turned her head to look down at him. "Daydreaming is not something I do often, but at the time when I did it was usually about you. I thought I told you about that."

"You did," Luke said, turning to meet her gaze as he spoke and grinning brightly. "I just like hearing you say it."

The woman beside him shook her head at his answer, but it was clear she was not truly upset at him. "Anyway, I thought it was too much to hope that I would be with you like this. And I certainly did not think I would be carrying your child."

Luke paused for a moment before asking uncertainly, "Do you think I'll make a good father?"

Tear chuckled at his apparent distress. "Yes, you will," she answered confidently.

"But I never know what to do around kids. I think I scare them."

"You'll learn," Tear assured him, no less confident in her belief.

"What makes you so sure?"

"Do you _want_ to be a good father?"

"Of course I do," Luke responded, looking somewhat confused by the question.

"I've never seen you fail to learn something that you truly wanted to learn," Tear informed him, her eyes glinting with what he could swear was pride.

Luke went silent, unsure of how to respond to the praise he had been given. He stared up at Tear, and as his eyes traveled over her features he was suddenly struck by an intense desire. He quickly sat up, slightly startling her. Without a word he pulled her close to him, kissing her with the full force of the passion that had overcome him. He found his affection enthusiastically returned as Tear willing succumbed to a similar sense of longing.

It was not long before Tear felt herself gently being pushed back. She allowed herself to fall backwards, landing softly on the bed of flowers beneath her. The fall caused only a momentary break from Luke, who quickly changed positions accordingly.

And there, in the midst of the selenia field, underneath the glow of the full moon, Luke helped Tear relieve her stress in the best way he knew how.

Twice.


	11. Family

Even after her breathing had slowed back to normal, Tear made no effort to move. Her eyes were closed and she allowed herself to indulge in her recently acquired sense of peace. The smell of the flowers blooming around her mingled pleasantly with the alluring scent of her lover, lulling her into a state of absolute bliss.

She likely would have drifted off to sleep in that moment had she not felt Luke's heart rate suddenly increase and his body tense. Slightly resentful of the interruption from her blissful state but more concerned than anything, Tear lifted her head from where it had been resting on his chest to look over into his eyes, which were currently resting on her.

"What's wrong?" she asked worriedly.

"Uh..." He looked distinctly nervous. "Was that... was what we just did... was that okay? I mean, because you're... you know..."

Tear laughed, partially at his ignorance on the subject, and partially out of relief that it was nothing more serious. "Yes, it was. There's nothing to worry about."

"Are you sure?" Luke still looked concerned. "It won't... hurt the baby or anything?"

She could not help but smile. She did not particularly like it when Luke worried, but she had to admit that he looked irresistibly adorable when he did so. "I'm positive. You did nothing wrong."

At that, Tear felt him relax considerably. "Good. For a moment I was afraid I'd really screwed up."

With that settled, Tear lowered herself back into her previous position. "Don't worry. I would not have allowed such a thing to happen if I thought it posed any kind of threat."

"Yeah, guess I should've known that," Luke replied, absently running a hand through her hair.

It was not long before Tear was able to slip back into her previous mental state, except this time she was not being threatened by sleep. Now she was thinking, about many things, but mostly about the future.

"Luke?"

A muffled "Hmm?" told her that he was at least half listening.

"Where did you want to move to?"

The question seemed to wake him up a bit, and he turned his head to look at her again, seeing that she had done the same. "I was planning on asking you that. I'll gladly live anywhere, as long as it makes you happy."

Tear considered this for a moment. "I'm not entirely sure where I would want to live. I don't have a particular attachment to anywhere else."

"If you want, we could move to Yulia City."

She shook her head. "No, that part of my life is over. I'd rather not go back."

Luke reached out a hand and gently stroked her cheek. "Take as much time as you need to decide where you want to live. I'll be ready whenever you are."

Tear placed her hand on top of his and held it in place, then sighed despairingly. "I wish it were that easy."

"What do you mean?"

She smiled sadly. "Did you forget? We can't afford to just move out on our own."

"Oh. Right."

"I was just curious where you had been thinking of."

"Well," Luke said thoughtfully, "At first I was thinking we didn't have to leave Baticul at all. We could just find our own place on the other side of town or something. But then I started thinking maybe you'd rather be somewhere else, since you've never seemed very fond of Baticul."

"It is an impressive place," Tear replied, not wanting to sound like she was putting down Luke's hometown, "But I'm really not used to living in such a large city."

"I understand," Luke said, smiling kindly to show that he meant it. "Like I said, take your time figuring out what you want."

Tear nodded, then said somewhat resentfully, "Noelle is waiting for us."

Luke looked somewhat surprised that she had brought that up. "Do you want to go back now?"

There was a pause as Tear decided how to respond, then she finally admitted, "...No, not really."

"Then we won't," Luke stated like it was a given.

"But-"

Tear found herself unable to finish her sentence as Luke brought up his other hand and placed a finger against her lips. "Did you forget why we're here? This is for you. Don't worry about Noelle. She doesn't expect us back until morning."

He moved his hand away and Tear took the opportunity to speak again. "I just do not like the idea of someone waiting on me."

Luke grinned deviously. "Alright then. Say you want to go back."

Tear looked incredibly confused by this change in his attitude. "What?"

"Just say it," he insisted, his eyes glinting in the way they did when he thought he was being clever.

"I want to go back," Tear reluctantly stated, with a decided lack of confidence in her voice.

"No," he quickly responded, still smiling pleasantly at her.

She looked at him questioningly, still not following what he was trying to accomplish.

"See?" he explained, "Noelle isn't waiting on you, she's waiting on me. I'm the one holding us up."

Tear stared at him for a couple seconds before laughing. "Thanks for trying, but I don't think that's quite how it works."

"Why not?" Luke asked in his most innocent voice, his ridiculous grin still on his face.

Tear found herself at a loss for words as she stared into the smiling face of her husband. It fascinated her that despite everything he had been through he still managed to retain a piece of his childlike innocence.

She decided to give into his little "game," and returned his smile. "I suppose I'll just have to explain to Noelle that I was forced to stay here against my will."

Luke was clearly pleased that she was going along with it. "Exactly."

"Okay, since you want to stay here so badly," she continued the joke, "What would you like to do now?"

"Well," Luke said playfully, "We already did what I really wanted to do."

Tear shook her head and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like the word "men."

Luke chose to ignore this statement. "You probably need rest. You should go to sleep."

Out of habit, Tear was about to insist that she was fine, but her body betrayed her as she let out a yawn. She laid her head back down, using Luke as a convenient pillow. He did not object in the least to being used in such a manner.

It took a bit of effort, but Luke managed to keep himself awake long enough to watch Tear slip quietly into the realm of sleep. He made sure she was comfortable and paid close attention for any tell-tale signs that she might be cold. When he was finally satisfied that she was sleeping as peacefully as she could, he allowed himself to doze off, not even caring that he had nothing to rest his head on but the hard ground.

* * *

The next morning it was Tear who decided when they should finally leave, though not in a way that either one of them would have expected. 

"I'm hungry," she stated matter-of-factly after they were both awake and sitting in the flowers facing each other.

Luke reached over and grabbed a bag that contained several supplies he had thought to bring. "Well, I did bring sandwiches if you want one." He reached into the bag and pulled one out, holding it out to her.

Tear took the sandwich, sniffed it, then, to Luke's incredible surprise, threw it as far away from her as she could with an absolutely revolted look on her face.

"What's wrong?!" he asked with great concern.

"I'm not exactly sure," Tear admitted, looking slightly baffled at her own actions. "It just made me sick smelling it. I didn't want it near me anymore."

"Well..." Luke said slowly, still trying to process what had just happened, "What do you want to eat?"

Tear paused for only a moment to think before she announced, "A kirima."

"A kirima? I didn't know you liked those so much."

"I don't," she said simply, "But I really want one."

"Are those even in season?" Luke's knowledge of when different fruits grew was extremely limited.

"I don't know, but I'm sure your parents could import anything they want with their money."

At this Luke stared at Tear like she had been suddenly replaced by an entirely different person. "Jeez, you must _really_ want one if you're suggesting that we use my parents' money."

Tear looked a little ashamed of herself at this statement. "That was rather unlike me, wasn't it?"

"Hey, don't worry about it. We'll get you your kirima somehow. I guess that means we're leaving now?"

"Yes." Tear looked back over the selenias sadly, though at the moment she was too hungry to be as torn up about leaving as she might otherwise be.

* * *

Luckily for Tear, the Fabre household was stocked with several somewhat exotic foods, including the kirima that she suddenly craved. Though by the time they made it home it took much more than that to satisfy her. Luke was also hungry enough to eat the entire kitchen by the time they got back. As a precaution he had gotten rid of the rest of the food he had brought, not wanting to take any risk of making Tear sick. She told him it was unnecessary but he did it anyway, declaring that if they starved to death at least they would do so together. She then told him he was being stupid and to get in the Albiore before they really did both die of malnutrition. 

After the two of them had cleared out a good section of the food storage, Duke Fabre informed Luke that he wanted to speak with him. The tone of his voice made both Luke and Tear get a bad feeling about what he wanted to say, but since the Duke specifically asked that Tear not be present during the conversation she was forced to wait it out.

Tear sat on one of the benches in the courtyard, staring at the statues that decorated the corners and trying not to worry about whatever Luke and his father were discussing. The Duke had not sounded pleased.

A butterfly danced over the flowers to her right and she idly watched the little creature's flight while her thoughts wandered elsewhere. When she turned her head to the left she was startled to find someone standing near her. She noted that she seemed to be losing some of the instincts she developed as a soldier, and wondered if this was a good or bad thing.

Susanne smiled pleasantly at her. "I'm sorry dear, I did not mean to frighten you."

"It's alright," Tear assured her, "I was just thinking."

"Is it alright if I sit with you?" Susanne asked politely.

"Of course." Tear had always been fond of the older woman. Though when they first met a part of that was guilt for having blasted her son halfway across the world.

Susanne sat beside her on the bench. "Is something bothering you? You seem troubled."

"I'm a little concerned about what the Duke wanted to speak to Luke about. It did not sound like it was going to be good, and Luke has a pretty short temper..."

"He gets that from his father, I'm afraid."

"That makes me all the more concerned," Tear said with a sigh.

The Duchess looked thoughtful for a moment before speaking again. "I realize that my husband has not made the best impression on you, but I want you to know that he really is a kind man."

Tear said nothing, unsure of what she could say that would not sound insincere.

"He really does want what's best for Luke. Unfortunately the two simply do not understand each other well. Luke does not understand the importance of duty to my husband, and my husband does not understand the importance of love to Luke." Susanne smiled a bit sadly. "I think he may also be a bit jealous. His marriage was arranged for the sake of joining the Fabre family with the royal family. But his son got to choose his own bride."

"Your marriage was arranged?" Tear had suspected as much, but thought it would have been rude to ask about it.

"Yes. I'll admit that at the time I was not pleased with the idea. I was young, and not ready to settle down with a man I had only met once. I was not in love with another, but there were plenty of men that I found much more pleasant and attractive than the one I was told I would be marrying."

Susanne's eye's glazed over as she sank deeper into her reminiscences. "I thought he was harsh and uncaring, but the day before our wedding he showed up at my doorstep with flowers. I could tell how nervous he was, and that's when I realized..."

Susanne stopped herself and blinked, eyes focusing back in on Tear. "Oh dear, I'm sorry, I seem to have lost myself in the past. I did not mean to bore you."

"Not at all," Tear replied, shaking her head. "I am fascinated to hear about your past."

"You are too kind, dear," Susanne said, smiling sweetly. "I can see why Luke cares so much for you."

Tear blushed slightly, not sure how to respond to the kind of praise she was receiving.

Susanne seemed pleased with her reaction, and decided to continue. "He really does, you know. Before you two were open with your relationship I could always tell which days you spent together because Luke would come home looking happier than I have ever seen him.

"I would also like to thank you. He grew up so much while he was out adventuring with you and his friends. He was always a nice boy but he was so miserable when he was stuck in the manor. It was so difficult, knowing that someday he would die for the fulfillment of the Score. Yet that day passed and he still came home. He always came home. Every time I thought I was going to lose him for good he would eventually show up back at the manor. And you were always at his side."

Now Tear was completely overwhelmed. "I-I didn't... There's no need to..."

"It's alright dear, you do not need to say anything. Please just keep in mind that my son loves you with all his heart, and my husband is a much better person than he often makes himself seem."

Tear smiled appreciatively. "I will." For the first time since her marriage, Tear felt that she had truly been accepted into the Fabre family.


	12. An Old Friend

Author's Note: Yes, this update is late. Yes, I have a legitimate excuse. Let's just leave it at that.

Oh, and I'll be gone the first week of July, so expect more fun delays in the future.

* * *

The pleasant mood in the courtyard was promptly shattered as screaming was heard from elsewhere in the manor. The words were inaudible but hardly necessary to guess what had happened. The outcry was followed by the sound of a door slamming, and seconds later Luke stormed into the courtyard, so caught up in his rage that he did not even notice his wife and his mother watching him in startled confusion as he made his way to his room. 

No words were spoken as Tear and Susanne quickly moved to calm their respective husbands, as it was likely the Duke was in a similar state. Susanne left the courtyard to head to her chamber, while Tear intercepted Luke on his way to theirs, standing in front of him and forcing him to come to an abrupt halt.

The anger on Luke's face was temporarily replaced by shock, as he had just noticed Tear's presence. However, he quickly recovered and launched into a bitter tirade. "I don't believe him! After everything, he still doesn't understand _anything_! How can he be so selfish?! Who the hell is he to tell me what to do?! He has no idea what we've been through-"

Tear placed her hands on Luke's shoulders. She could feel him shaking violently. "Luke, stop. Calm down."

It took visible effort, but Luke managed to stop himself from continuing his rant and switched to seething in silence. Presumably in an attempt to calm himself, he lifted Tear's right hand off his shoulder and held it against his cheek.

After a few seconds Luke's breathing finally began to slow and his shaking all but stopped, so Tear deemed it safe to have him speak again. "Now, please tell me what happened. Slowly."

Luke took in a shuddering breath before replying. "My father is angry that I stopped us from going to that celebration last night. He said it was really important, and as the heir it's my responsibility to make sure I don't do anything that makes House Fabre look bad." At this point Luke's anger once again began to mount and his speech quickened. "I tried to explain that you were in no condition to go but he wouldn't listen. He kept going on about duty and how I was doing everything wrong and how I was destroying the family name-"

"Luke," Tear said in her best gentle-but-firm voice.

Luke realized his mistake and again stopped himself, which appeared to be less difficult than it had been the first time.

This time Tear waited a minute after Luke had visibly calmed before speaking. "Did your father say anything else?"

He nodded, and looked reluctant to speak. "He said that... he said..."

Tear was alarmed by Luke's sudden change in mood. His anger seemed to be all but gone, and was replaced by an expression of hurt. She had seen that expression before, and had a terrible feeling she knew what had happened. "What did he say?" she asked gently.

Luke looked away from her and down at the ground before answering. "He said that Asch would have understood."

It was all Tear could do to keep from breaking her own advice and going off on a rant of her own. It had been aggravatingly difficult to get Luke over his inferiority complex, and every time someone made a comment like the one the Duke had made it set him back. Though it was probably true that Asch would have been more willing to act like a noble "should," it gave his father no right to use that fact against Luke, especially when he knew what a sensitive topic it was for him. Tear did her best to keep in mind what Susanne had told her about the Duke being a good person at heart, but she found it extremely difficult when Luke was standing before her looking ready to cry because of something that his own father had said to him.

Afraid that if she spoke her voice would betray the anger she was trying to suppress, Tear chose a more physical route to comforting Luke. She pulled her hand away from his cheek and out of his grasp so that she could wrap both arms around him. Luke wasted no time in returning the hug, proceeding to rest his head on her shoulder and bury his face in her hair, taking in her scent.

The action served to comfort Tear as well, and she felt confident enough to speak again. "I'm sure he didn't mean it like that. He was just upset. Please try not to let it bother you." She knew the request was futile but she felt it was worth saying anyway.

Luke said nothing, but his quivering subsided. A minute passed in silence before Tear spoke again. "Let's go inside. I want to hear exactly what your father said, and what you said to him. Alright?"

Reluctantly, Luke released his hold on her and nodded. He followed her into their room, steeling himself for the task ahead of recalling every piece of the heated argument between him and his father.

* * *

Luke liked to believe that he had gained back most of the confidence he had lost when he learned he was a replica, but sometimes he still found himself badly shaken. On occasion he still wondered if it would have been better if Asch came back instead of him, especially when someone as close to him as his own father brought up the point. It still hurt to hear people talk about replicas as if they were things instead of people, and sometimes he even started to believe the terrible derogatory statements that were made. He wished he could take everyone's advice and just not let it bother him, but it was phenomenally difficult when a large part of the population hated him for what he was. How quickly everyone forgot who had saved them when the world was in danger. 

Yet he never had to worry about falling completely into despair. Whenever he felt low or inferior, he just had to think about Tear. There was no way someone as wonderful as her could have fallen for him if he was just some inferior creature. There had to be something special, something important about him if a woman like her wanted to be with him so badly. And she certainly would not have been better off if it had been Asch who returned. She had told him so herself, and he trusted her word above anyone else's. In fact, she once told Luke that she would have been completely miserable if he had not kept his promise and returned to her, and to think about that the next time he wondered if it should have been Asch who came home. He did not like to think about Tear being miserable, but it was nice to feel needed.

"I'm glad you're feeling better, but I must know, what are you smiling about?"

Tear was seated on the opposite side of the bed, watching him curiously. He must have unconsciously started smiling when he got lost in his musings, which was understandably confusing to Tear, since just minutes ago he no doubt would have started crying if she had not been there to comfort him. It had not been easy for him to relay in explicit detail what his father had said to him.

"Nothing much," Luke responded, his smile widening now that he was conscious of it. "I was just thinking about something you said to me a while ago."

Now she returned the smile. "I'm glad my words had such a lasting positive effect."

"You have no idea."

Both of them went silent as they become lost in their own thoughts. Luke was a bit startled when Tear suddenly said, "We still haven't told our friends."

Luke blinked in confusion; his mind had gone off on a tangent about sword fighting techniques, and he had not the slightest clue what she was talking about. "Huh? Told them what?"

Tear smiled coyly. "That there's soon going to be a new member in the Fabre family."

"Oh, that."

"Not even Natalia knows. She hasn't been home since we found out."

"Yeah..."

Tear frowned. "If I didn't know better I'd think the whole subject made you unhappy."

"Er, no, that's not it," Luke hastily defended himself, "I'm just trying to figure out how everyone will react."

"Well, Guy and Natalia at least will probably be happy for us."

"Jade will probably say something creepy," Luke said, ever one to focus on the negatives, "And Anise will probably find some way to use it to make fun of me."

"Whatever the case, we should let everyone know. I know I'd be interested to hear if one of our friends was going to have a child."

Luke grinned. "Me too. There'd have to be an interesting story behind that, since none of them are married."

Tear shook her head at him. "I didn't mean it like that."

"I know."

"...Anyway, we can just wait until Natalia returns to inform her, and we should send letters to the others-"

Tear suddenly stopped and put her hand over her mouth, eliciting a worried cry from Luke. "What is it?"

"I'm going... to be sick..." she managed to mutter through her hand before promptly bolting from the room.

Luke watched her go, wondering if he should follow but deciding there was not much he could do for her at the moment. He sighed, wishing there was some way he could help but knowing there was nothing to do but wait it out.

Figuring he might as well be useful, he moved to a small desk in the corner of the room and sat down. His intention was to start work on the letters they would be sending to their friends, but after taking out a sheet of paper and a pen he found himself at a loss for what to write. He did not know who to write to first, or how to even start.

Luke idly tapped his pen against the desk as he looked around the room for some type of inspiration. His eyes fell on the dog plushie sitting on the shelf, the one he had given Tear on her birthday a couple years ago. Something inspired him to go pick it up. He let the pen fall from his left hand, got up and made his way over to where it sat, lifted it and brought it back to the desk. He set it down next to the blank sheet of paper before seating himself again.

He found himself smiling as he stared at the stuffed creature, with its huge plastic eyes and ridiculously fluffy fur. Being from the male half of the species he did not understand why certain things were deemed "cute," or what was so special about them, but he knew that the plushie made Tear happy, so by extension it made him happy as well.

"What should I write first?" he asked aloud to the unblinking brown eyes.

He was not at all expecting a shrill voice to respond with, "HI!"

Luke stared in utter disbelief at the stuffed dog before his vision was suddenly obstructed by something very blue. He hastily reached up and grabbed whatever had latched onto his face, pulling it away and holding it out in front of him. He found himself staring into the large, sparkling eyes of a cheagle, looking completely unfazed by the rough treatment he was being given.

"What the- Mieu?!"

"Hello, Master!" the cheagle responded cheerfully, evidently unaware that he had nearly given his "master" a heart attack.

Luke was still trying to recover from shock, and had difficulty forming a coherent sentence. "What the... how did you... what are you _doing_ here?"

"I came to visit you and Tear!" Mieu announced, as if that explained everything perfectly.

"But how did you even get here?"

"I walked to Engeve," he explained in the same chipper manner. "A woman with a coach thought I was lost, but I told her I was just trying to visit Master. She said I was the cutest thing she'd even seen so she let me ride her coach for free all the way to Grand Chokmah. She even got me a ticket to ride the boat here!"

Luke wondered what Mieu would have done if he had not met with such luck, but figured it was not worth asking since the unintelligent creature probably had not even had a plan. "How did you get into my room?"

"Through the window!" With one little paw he pointed in the direction of the open window.

Luke released his hold from Mieu, who plunked unceremoniously onto the desk. A clink of metal against wood brought Luke's attention to the ring around the cheagle's stomach.

"Wait, I thought you gave the Sorcerer's Ring back to the Cheagle Elder."

"I did. He let me borrow it to come see you!"

"Let me get this straight," Luke said, staring unbelievingly at the little creature, "The Elder let you borrow a powerful artifact so that you could wander, by yourself, halfway around the world for a friendly visit?"

"Yup!" Mieu, naturally, did not find this strange in any way.

"I don't understand cheagles," Luke muttered to himself before speaking up so that Mieu could hear him again. "How long are you planning on sticking around?"

"As long as I can!" Mieu said, his smile widening. "And don't you worry Master, I'll be with you the whole time!"

"I'm _thrilled_ to hear it."


	13. The Element of Surprise

Author's Note: This damn thing that I'm told is called "real life" has been seriously cutting into my writing time. I'll have to see about getting that fixed.

* * *

She tasted like heaven. She always did. The sensation of her mouth over his excited him, and he allowed his hand to slide lower, his heart beating faster in anticipation- 

"Master! Tear!"

Luke suddenly had the urge to stab something. Something blue and furry.

Tear quickly pulled away as Mieu bounded into the room, looking as cheerful as ever. He leapt up onto the bed and smiled happily at the couple.

"Did you miss me?" he asked, completely unaware that he had interrupted anything.

Mieu had barely gotten the question out before Luke snapped, "You. Out. _Now_," and grabbed the cheagle roughly, preparing to literally throw him out of the room.

"Luke!" Tear cried before he had the chance, "Don't do that to poor Mieu!"

Luke looked over at her pleadingly, but she only glared back. He sighed, recognizing defeat, and reluctantly lowered Mieu back down onto the bed.

Mieu looked a bit shaken, but recovered quickly and crawled into Tear's lap, where he was happily received. Luke continued to sulk, angry at the cheagle for interrupting, annoyed at Tear for taking his side, and, above all, frustrated. It was not the first time in the past week that the creature had halted an intimate encounter that Luke would very much have liked to see through to the end.

During their journey Luke had become accustomed to having Mieu around, and he was ashamed to admit that after going so long without seeing him he had even sort of missed the little bastard. Yet all of that went out the window shortly after Mieu arrived. Luke was almost instantly reminded why he was always so annoyed by him. When Mieu learned that Tear was having a baby he was so excited that he spent the better part of an hour bouncing around the manor, babbling cheerfully in his shrill little voice. Luke was honestly afraid that his ears would start bleeding if he had to listen to it for much longer, but luckily for him Mieu overexerted himself and wound up passing out in a hallway.

"Master, what's wrong?" Mieu asked worriedly, evidently picking up on Luke's distress.

Luke let out an aggravated sigh before responding. "It's nothing, Mieu. Don't worry about it."

When Mieu spoke again, he sounded genuinely upset. "Master, why don't you call me 'Thing' anymore? Are you taking back the name you gave me?"

"I'm trying to be _nice_. Tear gets mad at me when I call you 'Thing.'" In his head he added, _And with you around it's hard enough to get any as it is_.

"That's because it's mean," Tear said defensively. "It shouldn't take me getting mad at you to make you stop."

"Whatever. I'm going to sleep. Good night." With that, Luke pulled the covers over him and lay down facing the wall.

Mieu looked up at Tear sadly. "Why is Master angry? Did I do something wrong?"

Tear smiled comfortingly. "No, you didn't. Luke just doesn't know the meaning of the word 'patience.'"

"It has nothing to do with patience," Luke muttered in annoyance, still facing the wall.

Tear ignored him and continued to address Mieu. "Let's get some sleep as well."

"Okay." Mieu hopped out of Tear's lap and curled up between her and Luke. Seconds later he was already asleep, and Tear found herself impressed by his ability to go from fully awake to fast asleep in less than a minute.

After spending a futile ten minutes trying to get to sleep herself, Tear opened her eyes and looked over at Luke. He no longer looked like he was even trying to sleep; he was on his back staring at the ceiling, still looking irritated.

"Luke," Tear whispered, not wanting to wake the sleeping cheagle, "Stop sulking. You're being ridiculous."

He turned to face her, his expression changing to a pout. "Come on, can't we just lock him in a closet for an hour or something?"

Tear grinned devilishly. "An hour? Don't flatter yourself."

Luke glared at her. "Fine. Fifteen minutes. Whatever. Hell, I'd take five minutes at this point. Is that too much to ask? Five minutes alone with my _wife_?!"

"Shh," Tear scolded, pointing to the still-sleeping Mieu. "It probably won't be for much longer. Besides, you're going to have to get used to something small and cute taking my attention away from you."

Luke looked distressed by the notion, but was determined to continue arguing his point. "Exactly. I have less than eight months left of having you all to myself. I want to be able to enjoy it."

"Well, there's nothing we can do at the moment." Luke was about to speak up but Tear hastily continued before he had the chance. "Because we are most certainly _not_ locking Mieu in any small, enclosed spaces. Just go to sleep for now. We can discuss this in the morning."

Luke was disappointed, but knew there was no point in arguing further. Tear had clearly made up her mind, and he certainly was not going to force her to do anything against her will. "Alright, fine." Thinking about the next day triggered thoughts of something he was supposed to remember. "Oh yeah, Natalia comes home tomorrow doesn't she?"

"Yes. Which means we get to tell her. By now our letters have probably reached the others as well."

"I kind of wish I was there to see how they'd react," Luke commented thoughtfully, a faint smile on his face.

"True, it would have been nice to tell them in person," Tear said, bringing logic to the situation as she was apt to do, "But it would have meant an excessive amount of traveling. I'm not sure what Noelle would think of us asking for another favor so soon after the last one, and it would take far too long without the Albiore."

"You know, you don't always have to explain everything to me. I'm smarter than I look."

Tear was about to use the opportunity to tease him, then realized he had taken the initiative and made fun of himself. She smiled. "I know. It's habit. Now stop stalling and go to sleep."

"Yes, dear."

* * *

"Wake up! Wake up!" 

Luke groaned. Mieu's voice was not the first thing he wanted to hear in the morning. He would rather listen to Tear yelling at him about how lazy he was.

He tried to pretend he was still asleep, but this turned out to be a bad idea. He let out an involuntary gasp as something landed hard on his chest. His eyes flew open and he glared at the cheagle that was now perched on top of him. "Okay, I'm awake. But if you do that ever again I'm locking you in the kitchen and telling the cooks I want roast cheagle for lunch."

Mieu's ears drooped and he leapt off of Luke, scampering over to Tear for protection. She was sitting up, watching the scene with mild distaste. It looked as though she had just woken up as well.

"What is it, Mieu?" Tear asked, somewhat groggily.

Mieu immediately perked up again. "You have to get up!"

"Why?" Luke grumbled, finally mustering the energy required to sit up.

"You'll see," Mieu answered cheerfully, further irritating Luke.

"Well, now that we're awake we might as well get up," Tear said to Luke before he could complain further.

"Fine," he muttered, but it was another few minutes before he finally got up and got dressed. The entire time Mieu bound around excitedly telling him to hurry, and only Tear's presence kept him from grabbing the creature out of mid-air and throwing him against a wall.

When Luke and Tear were ready Mieu led them in the direction of the drawing room. He stopped in front of the door that led to it and looked up at the two of them expectantly. After a confused pause Luke reached out and opened the door.

"Surprise!"

"Huh?" Luke was startled to find himself in close proximity of a very excited Anise.

"Congratulations, you two!"

The voice brought Luke's attention to the fact that there were several more people in the room. It was Guy who had spoken. He was leaning against a pillar and smiling broadly. Standing nearby was Natalia, still in her traveling clothes, and Jade, looking as dignified and sadistic as ever. Noelle was there as well, dressed in her pilot's outfit. No doubt the others had used her for transportation purposes.

"What the heck is all this about?" Luke asked as he looked around at his group of friends.

"What do you _think_ this is about?" Anise demanded, her tone suggesting that he was of inferior intelligence for not knowing the answer. "It's a baby shower!" She smiled cutely before adding, "And it was all my idea!"

Tear looked a bit uncomfortable. "Really, you all didn't have to come all the way here just for that."

"But we wanted to," Guy insisted. "This is big news."

Jade deemed it his turn to speak up. "I, personally, do have more important things I could be attending to. Unfortunately, the Emperor saw fit to send me here as a representative for him. I assure you I did everything I could to get out of coming, but alas, here I am."

Anise turned to him and glared, placing her hands on her hips as she did so. "Oh please! Don't lie, you wanted to come. You're as excited as the rest of us."

Jade merely shrugged. "Believe what you must."

"By the way Anise," Luke said, causing the girl to spin around to face him again, "Why _are_ you so excited about this? I admit, I didn't think you'd care all that much."

Anise stared at him wide-eyed. "Are you kidding? Don't you see the potential here?" Luke was clearly not following, so she explained herself. "I get to be awesome Aunt Anise!"

"Aunt...?" Luke said questioningly, but she ignored the comment.

"Just think about it. Sure, the kid will love you and Tear, but the two of you will have to punish her if she does anything bad. Meanwhile, I'll come over every once in a while, bringing treats and never saying anything mean. Imagine how much the kid will love _me_!"

Tear frowned a little. "And what advantage is that to you?"

Anise cheerfully continued her explanation. "Well, she'll be a noble, right? That means she'll be rich. And I'm sure she'll remember her wonderful Aunt Anise, and want to repay her for all the lovely treats she brought."

Luke chose not to comment on Anise's disturbing little scheme for the moment, and instead asked, "What makes you think it'll be a 'she?'"

"It better be," Anise said sternly. "Girls are easier to buy stuff for. I just have to find things that are pretty or cute."

Luke was not pleased. "Hey, that's our kid you're talking about, not some test subject you can manipulate however you want."

"It's a shame," Jade said casually.

Luke had a feeling he would regret asking the question, but curiosity got the better of him. "What's a shame?"

"That the child isn't a test subject," Jade replied without the least bit of remorse. "The offspring of someone with a fonon frequency identical to Lorelei's, and a descendant of Yulia. It could be interesting."

Jade's comment was rewarded with a horrified look from Luke. "You're not doing any weird experiments on our kid."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Jade said in response, grinning in a way that made the prospective father even more nervous.

Luke turned to Tear, who also appeared disturbed. "Jade's not allowed to babysit. Ever."

"Agreed," Tear responded hastily, causing Jade's look of amusement to intensify ever-so-slightly.

Desperate to change the subject before Jade could comment further, Luke turned to Natalia and said lamely, "So, I guess you already know, huh?"

Natalia smiled and nodded. "Indeed. Imagine my surprise when I arrived in Baticul Port to find the Albiore there, and my dearest companions all gathered on the dock! Congratulations! I apologize for not having a gift, I only just found out."

"Gift?" Luke asked with intrigue. "We get presents?"

"Of course you do!" It was Anise who responded. "Don't you know anything about a baby shower?"

Tear was amused by Luke's enthusiasm. "You do realize that the gifts are likely for the baby and not us, correct?"

"Aw, what fun is that?" Luke complained, though his tone was more playful than whiny.

Anise crossed her arms indignantly. "After I went to so much trouble to get everyone together like this, _that's_ all you have to say?! And I spent so much time picking out the gift, too! You don't even deserve it. Damn spoiled noble..."

Luke was taken aback by the outburst. "Wow, sorry, I didn't realize it would offend you so much."

"Just kidding," Anise replied cheerfully, giving her best smile. "I got it for Tear more than anything. I figured you wouldn't care much."

Luke rolled his eyes but said nothing.

"I'm afraid I don't have a gift either," said Noelle, speaking up for the first time. "Anise showed up in Sheridan and asked me to fly the Albiore. I didn't even know there was something special going on until we arrived in Grand Chokmah and she explained it to Jade and Guy."

Anise laughed nervously. "Yes, well, enough about that. Do you want your presents or not?"

Mieu, completely oblivious to any of the tension in the room, began skipping around merrily and chanting, "Presents! Presents!"

Anise reached behind her and grabbed a gift that was on the table, a rectangular shaped package with a shiny green ribbon. She brushed past Luke to hand it to Tear. As she offered the gift to the older woman she said, "This took me forever to find, so you'd better appreciate it!"

Tear cautiously took the package, not sure what to expect. She carefully removed the wrapping paper, revealing a plain brown box. A maid quietly stepped forward, took the paper from her, and slipped from the room, presumably to dispose of it. So curious was Tear about the contents of the box that she was not the least bit flustered by the actions of the maid, as she normally would be. She moved to the table and set the box down so that she could more easily remove the loosely fitting lid. Inside was something made of blue and white cloth, and she lifted it up to discover what it was.

It was an outfit, or a costume rather, sized perfectly for an infant. The most distinguishing feature of it was a hood that sported two distinctly cheagle-like ears.

"I know you're obsessed with cute stuff like that," Anise said by way of explanation. "I figured you'd probably have fun dressing the baby up and such."

A faint blush crept onto Tear's cheeks as she imagined how ridiculously adorable the baby would look when wearing the little costume. She did not say anything right away but Anise smiled, knowing that Tear's silence was a sign that the gift had the effect she had wanted it to.

Mieu hopped up onto the table to get a better look at what Tear was holding, and he squealed in delight when he saw it. "It will look just like me!"

"Great, just what I want," Luke muttered sarcastically, "Another Mieu around."

Tear was still too distracted to scold Luke for the comment, so Anise took the liberty of doing it for her. She turned on him and crossed her arms. "Nobody asked you. I realize that this kind of thing is beyond you, but Tear likes it so be quiet."

Luke could think of nothing to say in response. It was true that it did seem to make Tear happy, and that was something he most definitely wanted. He remained silent and looked away from Anise, trying to look as dignified as he could while he did so.

"Thank you, Anise." It was Tear who spoke. Anise turned to face her again and saw that she was still staring at the baby clothes with a transfixed look. She did not even seem to notice Luke's humiliation.

Anise brightened again. "You're welcome. I'm glad _some_body appreciates me."

Tear neatly folded the outfit and set it back in the box for safe-keeping. As she did so, Anise turned to face the rest of the group. "Well, are the rest of you going to bring out your gifts or what?"

A short silence followed. Natalia and Noelle looked around expectantly, since it was already known neither of them had anything. Jade did not move an inch, simply watching Anise with his usual unreadable expression. Guy held perfectly still for a few seconds before he finally put his hand behind his head and said nervously, "Actually, I, uh, didn't know I was supposed to bring anything either."

Anise let out a highly over-exaggerated sigh and walked angrily over to Guy, who backed away fearfully. It no longer bothered him when women stood near him, but past experiences told him that Anise was likely to jump on him, an action he was still not very comfortable with. She stopped a couple inches away from him and glared fiercely. "Honestly, guys don't know _anything_! Why do you think we came all the way here?!"

"Sorry," Guy said as apologetically as he could. She shook her head and turned her back to him, to his relief.

"So am I the only one who thought to bring anything?" Anise demanded of everyone in the room.

"That is not entirely correct," came Jade's calm response.

Everyone turned to look at him curiously. He took his right hand from behind his back and held out a rectangular box that was slightly longer and wider than his hand. It was not wrapped, but it had a shiny blue bow on top.

Anise grinned in delight. "Colonel, I knew you at least would come through!"

"You are jumping to conclusions," Jade said smoothly. "This gift is not from me."

"Then who's it from?" Anise asked bemusedly.

Rather than respond directly, Jade walked over to Tear and bowed formally as he spoke. "The Emperor wishes to congratulate you, and present to you this gift."

Tear unconsciously took a step backward. "Please Colonel, I have to deal with enough formality with the maids."

"I apologize if I made you uncomfortable," Jade said as he rose to stand straight once again. "The Emperor sent me on an official mission to deliver this, so I decided I may as well do it properly."

Jade was holding the box out in front of him, so Tear took it carefully and removed the lid. She reached in an pulled out a small stuffed rappig.

"I could have guessed that," Anise said dully. "The Emperor is so predictable."

"Wait," Tear muttered as she inspected the stuffed animal, "This rappig looks familiar."

Luke looked at her strangely. "Of course it does. All rappigs look the same."

"No they don't," Tear insisted defensively. She inspected the creature again and then smiled in triumph. "There, you see?"

Sewn onto the rappig was a cloth representation of a collar and a tag (a real tag would have been a choking hazard). Tear pointed to the tag, which had tiny letters stitched onto it that spelled out "Luke."

"Huh?" Luke stared at the tag in disbelief. "I don't get it. Why does it have my name on it?"

"Because," Tear explained happily, "This rappig looks just like the one that the Emperor named after you. He must have had it specially made."

Luke watched Tear stroke the soft fur of the toy for several seconds before he spoke again. "So basically, our kid is going to be playing with a stuffed animal that looks like a rappig that's named after me." He frowned. "Don't you think that's kind of... weird?"

"Is it?" Tear asked innocently. "I think it's kind of cute."

Luke was about to respond with something along the lines of "You would," but thought better of it. Tear really did look happy as she looked over the two gifts she had received. He smiled, glad to see that she really did seem to be feeling better.

He was feeling significantly better too, he realized. Perhaps it was having everyone together again. Sure, they bickered among themselves often, but it was comforting in some strange way. It made everything feel normal again. It really was a pleasant surprise to have everyone show up.

Little did Luke know that it was not the only surprise in store for him that day.


	14. World News

Author's Note: Okay, so it would be a lie if I blamed this late update on real life. But as fellow gamers you must understand the lure of a new game, right? You can't get a new game and then _not_ start playing it. And once you start, if it's a good game you just can't stop, and... yeah. In other words, you have Pokemon: Pearl and Zelda: Twilight Princess to blame for the horrendously late update. Or, if you prefer, you can blame the people who gave me such awesome games for my birthday.

And since I haven't mentioned it in a while, I would like to remind all my reviewers that I love them and want their children. I also love the people who read my story and like it but are too shy to review. Just not as much. ;)

* * *

The servants in Duke Fabre's manor were a bit panicked at having so many visitors show up unexpectedly, but with much scrambling they were able to prepare lunch for everyone. Guy said that they would not mind staying the night at the inn (earning himself a glare from Anise), but Luke, who had never been very sensitive to the plight of the servants or how much work they would have to do, insisted that they all stay in the manor. Guy appealed to Tear, figuring she had likely thought of what her oblivious husband had not. Luke found himself being scolded for something he had not even realized was inconsiderate. 

It was finally decided that Guy, Anise, Jade, and Noelle would spend that night at the inn, giving the maids and servants more time to prepare rooms, and then would stay at the manor for the remainder of their visit, the exact length of which was still undecided. Luke tried to convince Noelle that it would be a good idea for her to take Mieu with her when she went to the inn, but when he found himself being scolded by Tear again he reluctantly dropped the issue.

With all that settled, the seven companions (eight including Mieu) sat down to eat, taking the opportunity to share what was going on in their respective parts of the world.

"Stuff is still pretty chaotic in Daath," Anise said solemnly. "I knew completely reforming a religion would be tough, but I didn't realize it would take so long! I guess when the entire basis of an organization is destroyed, it's not easy to make it work again. I'm sure it doesn't help that we _still_ don't have an official Fon Master! Teodoro's basically the leader right now, but it's been years and we still don't have anyone officially in charge."

Natalia frowned. "My, that's quite a long time to go without a leader. I would have expected by now that a new Fon Master would have been chosen."

"That's just it!" Anise cried in exasperation. "No one can agree on _how_ to choose the next Fon Master! There are some people who say Florian, because he's technically the only living relative of the last Fon Master. But then there are other people who say no, because he's a replica." Luke looked noticeably irritated by that news, but decide it was not necessary to comment, since it was clear by Anise's tone that she was equally disgusted by the notion. "Then there are others that say since the Order is being completely reformed, we should have a new way of choosing a Fon Master as well. Most of those people want some kind of voting system."

Luke gave her a friendly smile. "Well if they decide on that, you've got my vote Anise."

Anise looked startled by the compliment, then she turned to Tear and smirked. "You'd better watch out Tear. You've only been married a few months and Luke's already hitting on other women."

Luke panicked, afraid that Tear might believe he would aim his affections at someone other than her. Unfortunately, panicking made his bad way with words that much worse. "I didn't mean- I was just- I wouldn't-"

Tear laughed, placing her free hand (as the other was being used to hold her fork) over Luke's. "It's okay. I know."

Luke smiled in relief, leaning in to give her a quick kiss on the lips. While the two of them were distracted Anise made a gagging motion, causing Noelle to giggle and Guy to smile in spite of attempts to suppress it.

When Luke and Tear turned to face the table again they were aware that they had missed something, but no one seemed ready to explain what. Tear mentally shrugged it off and turned to look at Guy and Jade. "What is the situation in Grand Chokmah?"

Guy glanced over at Jade, and sighed when he saw that the Colonel was watching him as expectantly as everyone else at the table. "Things have been as good as they can be. People are still having trouble coping without the Score, but so far no one's done anything worse than complain a lot. There's also some concern about who will take the throne next, since Emperor Peony still refuses to marry. Other than that, life goes on as usual."

Luke turned to address Jade directly, since it was obvious he was not going to volunteer himself to speak. "How goes the Fomicry research, Jade?"

Jade looked at Guy again, but the blond noble hastily shook his head. "You'll have to explain this one on your own. I don't understand half of it myself."

Jade sighed dramatically and made a show of slowly putting down his silverware and taking off his glasses to clean them with his napkin before finally responding to the question. "I'm developing a way to replicate only part of a human, rather than the whole thing. I have the theory worked out but I have yet to test it in practice."

"Part of a human?" Luke's confusion was clearly written on his face. "Like, an arm or something?"

Jade shook his head at Luke's less-than-intelligent question. "No, I mean more along the lines of an organ, to be used by someone who requires a transplant."

"Oh, I get it," Luke said, slightly embarrassed. "That _would_ be pretty cool, to be able to help people out like that."

"Indeed," Jade replied. "Unfortunately, there is resistance to the idea, since it still requires a person to go through a replication process. It seems I was not specific enough when I set the ban on using Fomicry on living things."

"I see," Luke said, a little sadly. "Well, good luck with that."

Jade nodded briefly in acknowledgment before picking up his silverware again, showing that he was finished with explanations for the time being.

A short silence followed, and Guy took the opportunity to turn to Noelle, his eyes ablaze with excitement. "What about you? Any news from Sheridan?"

Noelle blushed slightly at the interest with which Guy regarded her, before she realized that his only concern was hearing about the latest Fon machines. "Aston's been working hard to continue the projects that he started with his close friends. It's too much for him to do alone though, so he's taken in some apprentices from both Sheridan and Belkend." She smiled. "The Luke Bridge has been proving very useful."

Luke cringed. He really wished they had decided to name the bridge something else. At the very least, they could have named it after someone with a more interesting name.

"And?" Guy practically demanded of Noelle. His excitement was getting the better of him. "Have they come up with anything? I've been pretty busy lately, so I haven't had time to keep up on all my Fon machine magazines."

"Well," Noelle said nervously, a bit uncomfortable due to the fact that Guy seemed to be subconsciously leaning in closer and closer to her. "Aston's been going on about this new communication device he's making. He claims that it well let people talk to each other from anywhere in the world."

"Really?" Guy asked, his eyes widening with fascination. "That sounds amazing! How does it work? When did he start making it? Is it almost done? Do you think he'd let me see it if I went over there?"

Luke rolled his eyes and concentrated on his food, tuning out Guy's rant. Poor Noelle continued to be bombarded by questions, even as she tried to explain that she did not know any of the details.

Several minutes passed and the situation did not change, so Tear decided it was time to rescue Noelle from the over-zealous Fon machine buff. She turned to Natalia and asked loudly, "So Natalia, how is your replica project going?"

Natalia regarded her with confusion. "I always tell you and Luke first if anything new occurs with that."

"Yes," Tear replied pointedly, "But I'm sure everyone else would like an update as well." She motioned toward Guy and Noelle.

Natalia seemed to catch on. "Oh, I see. Well, I suppose I should explain the situation then."

The plan was a success; Guy realized that Natalia was speaking, and knowing that it would be rude to talk over her, went silent. Noelle breathed a sigh of relief before also giving her attention to Natalia.

"It is going quite well," Natalia announced proudly. "There are still some replicas without homes, but more and more people are seeing the importance of giving them places to live, if only to keep them off the streets. At first there were people suggesting solutions as horrible as simply slaughtering them all, but thankfully those people are becoming the minority, so they rarely speak out anymore." Her face fell a little. "One problem that still remains is a way for the replicas to earn a living. It is difficult for them to get jobs since most of them know very little, and there is still so much prejudice against them. Some of those that are already settled have been given jobs to build homes for the others, which seems to be working as a short-term solution."

Anise smiled, though there was a distinct sadness in her eyes. "I'm sure Ion would be happy to hear that so much is being done for the replicas."

"Yeah," Luke agreed, the same hint of grief present in his tone, "I know I am."

Not wanting her comment to lead to a depressing silence, Anise quickly addressed Luke and Tear. "How have things been in Baticul?"

Tear thought for a moment before responding. "About the same as in Grand Chokmah, I suppose. People are upset, but nothing major has happened."

Anise was not about to be tided over with just a general description of Baticul's status as a whole. She demanded details on their personal lives as well. A little reluctantly, they explained the situation with Veronica, and the trouble she had caused.

"Want me to take her out with Tokunaga?" Anise suggested with a sadistic grin, pointing to the doll that was still strapped to her back.

Luke adopted the same grin and looked about to accept the offer, but Tear stopped him with a glare before speaking up. "I would rather not give her a real reason to hate us."

Both Luke and Anise looked disappointed, but they both knew she was right so neither one protested. Instead, Luke looked around the table at all of his friends. "Well, I guess everyone has had a chance to share-"

"What about me?"

Luke suppressed a shudder when Mieu's shrill voice rang out as he jumped from Tear's lap to the tabletop.

Tear pretended not to notice Luke's irritation. "Yes Mieu, why don't you tell everyone what has been happening in the Cheagle Woods?"

Mieu puffed up his fur, clearly pleased that he was now the center of attention. "The Elder said that I wasn't in trouble anymore since I helped save the whole world. Since the Elder forgave me most of the other cheagles did too, so now I have lots of friends! The ligers have a new queen, but they mostly leave us alone now since there are less of them than before and they don't run out of food so easily."

Having finished his report, Mieu glanced around the table to see how the others would react. Natalia smiled kindly and said, "I'm pleased to hear the situation in the Cheagle Woods has improved significantly."

Mieu was clearly happy with her response, and smiled in delight.

Jade decided it was time for one of his infamously disturbing comments. "It sounds like everything is going rather well."

Guy eyed him suspiciously. "Why do you sound almost disappointed by that?"

"Do I?" Jade asked in what was likely supposed to be an innocent tone. "I assure you I'm quite happy. I've had enough excitement in my life."

"That's right," Anise said, sneering, "Old men don't like a lot of excitement."

"Precisely," Jade replied, pretending he did not realize she was teasing him.

From there the conversation took many turns. It jumped between reminiscences about the past, current events, and ideas for the future. When everyone finished eating they moved to the courtyard, continuing to talk and laugh about old times.

It was dark when they finally decided it was time to part ways for the night. Those who were staying at the inn left to get their rooms, while Natalia returned home to the castle. Luke, Tear, and Mieu remained at the manor, ready to retire for the night.

It was then that they received another interesting surprise.

Their friends had only just left when Duke Fabre approached, addressing Luke and Tear. "Could I please speak to you two?"

Luke and Tear exchanged confused glances. The Duke sounded almost nervous; nothing like he had when he had last approached them for a "talk." They were both wary, but since the Duke seemed to want to speak to them both at the same time it made Luke and Tear more confident. Together they could handle anything.

Tear gave Luke a quick nod, showing that she believed they should hear him out. That was all the encouragement that Luke needed. He turned to face his father again, trying not to sound worried when he spoke. "Alright, what is it?"

The Duke hastily dismissed all the servants in the area. He then glanced down at Mieu, who was watching the scene with wide-eyed curiosity. The Duke seemed about to dismiss the cheagle as well, but apparently decided it did not matter and instead looked up at his son and daughter-in-law, noting that they both looked ready to defend themselves if necessary.

An increasingly awkward silence pervaded the room as Luke and Tear waited, and the Duke seemed to be trying to find the right words. Even Mieu was silent, anxious to see how the encounter would unfold.

The Duke finally let out a sigh and spoke. "I would like to... apologize. I realize that I've been unfair to the both of you."

Luke looked startled at first, but this was quickly replaced with a wry smile. "You spoke to Mother, didn't you?"

The Duke shifted slightly, and Tear immediately recognized it as a sign of embarrassment, as it was shockingly similar to a movement she had seen Luke make many times. Though when he spoke, he did a fine job of concealing his emotions. "Yes, your mother and I did have a talk. However, I do not want you to think that I am only apologizing to please her. She made me realize how thoughtless I have been, and I would like to atone for it."

Another silence followed as the Duke again seemed to be searching for the proper words. It was clear that apologizing was not something he did often. Tear found it cute in a way, how he was trying so hard to do something nice that he was not at all used to doing. It reminded her much of how Luke had been when he was first trying to change; pushing so hard to be a better person, even though everyone teased him the moment he started thanking people.

Tear snapped back to the present as the Duke turned to address her personally. "Tear..." he began uncertainly, "I have been... unkind to you. Please forgive an old man for being stuck in his ways."

For a moment, Tear wondered if Duke Fabre was playing some sort of strange trick on her. She had never heard of him playing a practical joke on anyone, but it seemed more plausible than what was actually happening. She was unsure of how to respond, so she voiced her confusion with a simple, "Your Grace?"

The Duke took this as his cue to continue his speech, which Tear was relatively sure had been practiced. "I cannot pretend that I would not have preferred if Luke married someone more... accustomed to the life of nobility, but I _am_ glad that he seems to be... happy with you."

Luke spoke up, sparing Tear from having to think of a response. "Father?"

The Duke turned to face him. He seemed to have trouble meeting Luke's gaze, but he forced himself to regardless. "Luke, my son. Please, forget the terrible things I said to you." There was no need to elaborate on what "things" he was referring to. "I was overjoyed when you returned, and that has never changed."

Luke had never been any good at "mushy" stuff, so he was at a complete loss for words when his father finished speaking. Normally he would laugh it off and act like the whole situation was a joke, making it easier to handle, but somehow that did not seem appropriate at the moment.

The Duke seemed to understand Luke's stunned silence and smiled, confusing his son further; he had hardly ever seen his father smile. Duke Fabre momentarily placed a hand on Luke's shoulder, then removed it and turned to exit the room, leaving behind his confused audience.

The moment the door closed behind him, Luke and Tear turned to look at each other, similar expressions of "What the hell just happened?" written on their faces.

"What was _that_ about?" Luke asked in order to break the silence.

Tear shrugged, looking just as baffled. "It seems he felt guilty. He's your father, you should know better than I."

"We were never very close," Luke responded, frowning slightly.

"Master's father is a nice person, too!"

Both of them jumped at the voice; they had completely forgotten that Mieu was there. They looked down to see him grinning happily.

Luke shook his head at the cheagle, then shrugged. "Well, if Father wants to start being nicer to us, I'm not complaining."

Luke started to laugh to try and alleviate the shock, but stopped when he saw Tear's concerned expression. "What's wrong? Everything's going pretty well, isn't it?"

She focused her gaze on him, still looking worried. "I suppose it is. Maybe that's why I feel this way; everything is going _too_ well. I just feel like something bad is going to happen."

Luke tried not to show that he was nervous; Tear's intuition was usually right. He stepped closer to her and smiled. "Don't worry, Tear. If worst comes to worst, I'll protect you."

Tear pretended to look hurt. "Only if worst comes to worst?"

Luke's smile widened and he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer. "Yes. Because I know you can take care of yourself otherwise."

Tear returned his smile and placed her hands on his chest. "And if for some reason I can't?"

Luke lowered his voice for dramatic effect, and his expression turned serious. "Then I will do whatever it takes to protect you, even if it means my life."

This was not the answer Tear was looking for. She felt her heart clench painfully and her breath catch in her throat. The smile instantly faded from her face, and when she spoke her voice was strained. "Please, don't talk about dying."

Her response did not surprise him. Luke wrapped his other arm around her and leaned forward so that his face was all but touching hers. He could feel her shuddering breaths. "Tear, I don't want to upset you but it's true. I would die for you."

"No..." Tear whimpered in response. She knew he was serious; Luke knew what it was to die for a cause, and he did not take it lightly. She thought of the year after Eldrant, and how she had almost fallen into despair even as the rest of the world was rebuilding. It had been the most miserable period of her life, and it still stung to think back on how painfully lonely she had been. She could not imagine surviving that feeling again without even the hope that Luke would return someday. Tear clutched onto the fabric of his shirt and buried her face in the collar. "No..."

Luke rubbed her back comfortingly, trying to make up for having upset her. "Don't worry, I have no intention of dying anytime soon."

"You'd better not," Tear responded, her voice muffled against him. "I'll kill you if you do."


	15. Turnabout

Author's Note: So Phoenix Wright decided to take over my life for a while. You people are lucky I managed to get this chapter done before October 24, when the third game comes out. Best series of games about gay lawyers EVER!

* * *

"Do we _have_ to leave tomorrow?" Anise whined, staring sadly at the plate of food before her. It was made of the finest ingredients, designed for noble tastes. And best of all, it had not cost her a thing. 

Guy shook his head. "You're the one who was just talking about all the duties you have to get back to."

"Yeah, but if I go home I have to start _paying_ for stuff again."

"Lorelei forbid," Guy muttered sarcastically under his breath.

"What was that?" Anise asked loudly, raising her arms to show that she was ready to pounce on him at any minute.

Guy flinched a little, but refused to show any other signs of being distressed. "I was just saying that we've probably overstayed our welcome. We've been here for five days already." He smiled a bit. "And you know what they say about fish and company."

Apparently the others did not know, as he found himself met with blank stares from everyone. Except Jade, who was quietly reading a book and seemed to be completely ignoring the pointless conversation.

Guy put a hand behind his head out of nervous habit. "Well anyway, I'm sure Luke and Tear would like to have some time alone." He winked in their direction.

Tear blushed slightly, but Luke simply muttered, "You have no idea," earning himself an elbow in the ribs.

"Ow!" he complained, rubbing his side while he frowned at his glaring wife. "What was that for?"

Tear gave him one of her most dangerous looks. "If you continue to be so tactless, you won't be experiencing any 'alone time' for a _very_ long time."

For a moment Luke looked horrified, then he put on his best I'll-be-good expression. Tear smiled in triumph.

Natalia looked a bit confused by the conversation. She turned to whisper something to Noelle, who was standing beside her. Noelle giggled and whispered something back, causing the princess to blush and mutter, "Oh."

Luke did not notice the short exchange. He was too busy frowning at Anise. "Hurry up and finished eating so we can go to the coliseum. It was your idea, after all."

Anise looked indignant. "Hey, _some_ of us don't get to eat like this everyday. Besides, just because you eat like a pig doesn't mean I have to."

"I can't help but notice you're the only one still eating."

"I have an appreciation for good food."

Luke sighed and gave up. He turned to Tear, noticing that she looked dazed, and slightly pale. "You alright?" he asked, trying to sound casual. No matter how many times he was told that occasional sickness was normal, he could not help fretting whenever Tear seemed ill.

The dazed expression left her and she smiled weakly at Luke. "Yes, I'm fine. I think I just ate something that didn't quite agree with me."

"You feeling sick?" As a reflex, Luke put an arm around her so she could lean on him if she needed to.

"A little," she admitted, taking Luke's invitation and allowed him to support some of her weight. "I think it would be best if I stayed here while the rest of you go to the coliseum."

"Do you want me to stay too?" he asked out of concern, though he already knew how she would answer.

"No, no," Tear insisted, "Go ahead with the others. I'll be fine, it's nothing that hasn't happened before."

Luke was going to argue, but saw the look in her eyes and realized she was serious; it was not just an act to save her pride. He reluctantly agreed to go with their friends while she stayed behind, making her promise for the hundredth time since they had met that she would take care of herself.

* * *

By the time the group returned from the coliseum it was rather late, so they all decided it was in their best interests to retire for the night. Luke slowly opened his bedroom door, not wanting to make too much noise as he figured Tear was likely asleep. He smiled at the sight before him when he got the door completely open. Tear was indeed asleep, but for whatever reason she was completely over on his side of the bed, and was practically cuddling his pillow. He carefully closed the door behind him, wincing a little at the "click" that sounded as it fell into place. He watched Tear carefully but she did not stir, so he breathed a sigh of relief and snuck further into the room. 

After quietly changing his clothes Luke sat down on the free side of the bed, careful not to make it move too much as he did so. For a while he simply sat and watched the beauty beside him sleep, amused by her almost childlike position. He was struck by a sudden, powerful feeling of protectiveness; she looked so vulnerable, lying asleep with only the protection of a thin sheet and the watchful eyes of an overzealous husband. He knew that Tear was not weak, physically or mentally, but he still felt responsible for looking out for her, and protecting her if necessary. She had experienced more heartache than anyone should have to feel in a lifetime; he was determined to keep her from feeling anymore of it.

Luke finally lay down, never taking his eyes off the sleeping figure beside him. He had watched her sleep many times before, but he could never get over how fragile she looked. When she was awake her eyes burned with confidence and determination, reminding him constantly of what she was capable of. But when she slept and that gaze was hidden, she looked so... human. Just another lost soul making her way through life, wanting little more than to be loved and remembered.

Luke gently placed a hand over one of hers, wanting to be closer to her but afraid that any more contact would wake her. Loved she was definitely, and as for remembered, Luke could not imagine anyone forgetting the most wonderful woman in Auldrant.

* * *

"Don't be sad, Master! I'll come visit again soon!" 

Luke had a snide remark on the tip of his tongue, but saw Tear's preemptive look of annoyance out of the corner of his eye and bit it back. Instead he waved to the cheagle, saying, "I can't wait," in the most sincere voice he could manage at the moment. He bade the rest of his friends one last goodbye before they headed up the ramp onto the Albiore.

Luke was surprised by the slight feeling of emptiness he experienced as he watched the familiar airship take off, carrying away many of his closest friends. But he still had Tear and Natalia standing nearby, which comforted him greatly.

After the Albiore had completely disappeared from sight Natalia returned to the castle, saying that her father had asked her to help him with something. Luke and Tear went home as well, both feeling a little drained from the long visit. Not long after they arrived back at the manor Tear said she was feeling a bit ill again, so she went to their room to rest.

It was a quiet day. Luke lay on one of the benches in the manor courtyard, lazily watching the wispy clouds that slid through the turquoise sky.

There was little noise, save for the plants being ruffled by the faint breeze and calls of the occasional birds passing overhead. Many of the servants were given the day off, and those who remained were spending most of their time in their quarters, since they had little work to do.

It was not just the departure of his friends and the lack of Tear's presence that made the manor feel so empty. Both of his parents were absent as well. They had gone on vacation, a very rare occurrence due to Susanne's poor health. This was the reason few servants were ordered to work at the moment, and those who were felt less pressure to be quick about their duties, since they did not have to worry about Duke Fabre catching them slacking.

All of these circumstances, some unusual and some not, left Luke very much alone in the courtyard. The silence felt strange to him. He felt that it should feel peaceful, but instead it filled him with unease. Something was badly out of place, and he had the sinking feeling he would soon find out what.

The answer came even sooner than he expected.

A maid scurried into the courtyard, looking rather distressed. She bowed quickly to Luke, who sat up to face her.

"Master Luke," the maid said nervously, "City guards have arrived at the door. They wish to speak with you."

Luke desperately tried to suppress the growing sense of panic that was developing inside him. Something was certainly wrong. "What do they want?"

The maid shrugged apologetically. "I do not know. They insisted on speaking to you personally."

Luke shakily rose from the bench and nodded to the maid. "Alright, lead me to them."

The maid bowed again before leading the way to the front room. The guards that the maid had spoken of were standing just inside the door. Their uniforms and posture suggested that they were no ordinary, low-ranking guards. They held status, and they were here on official business.

One of the guards saluted politely before addressing Luke. "Viscount Fabre?"

"Yes," Luke replied, making a concentrated effort to sound more confident than he felt.

"We have a few questions for you regarding the Viscountess."

Luke was filled with a sickening dread; they were after Tear. "What about her?" he asked testily, aware that he was losing control of the tone of his voice.

"Where was she last night?" the guard asked. He was probably trying to sound neutral, but Luke caught the accusatory hint in his voice and his panic increased.

"Last night?" Luke desperately tried to ignore his swirling thoughts and recall the events of the night before. "Well, we were spending time with our friends, who were visiting. That was pretty much the whole night, until we went to sleep."

"I see," replied the guard, not sounding particularly pleased by the response. "Were you with her the entire night?"

"I think so," Luke responded, now getting a headache on top of everything.

The guard, evidently, was not going to let him get away with that response. "It is imperative that you know for sure."

Luke strained to remember. "Let's see, there was one point when she said she wasn't feeling well and wanted to be alone, so I didn't see her for a couple hours. But other than that we were together the whole time."

The guard seemed satisfied with this response, which sickened Luke for reasons he could not explain. "Where is she now?"

"She's resting," Luke practically snapped, as if daring them to disturb her.

"Wake her," the guard ordered, "And bring her here."

"Why?" Luke demanded. He had completely given up on acting calm, and was now all but yelling at the guard, who was unfazed.

The guard stood up straighter and said in his most official tone of voice, "Viscountess Mysterica fon Fabre is hereby under arrest for the murder of Countess Veronica Kinsey."

Luke was absolutely dumbstruck. He had no idea how to begin digesting the momentousness declaration. "Tear would _never_, how could you... Veronica is _dead_?!"

Luke found himself experiencing a strange array of emotions, and none of them were pleasant. Sure, he had never liked Veronica; she had been a mean, spiteful woman. But... _dead_? And murdered, no less.

The guard's gruff voice brought Luke out of his momentary stupor. "Retrieve the Viscountess, or we will do so ourselves."

Luke's eyes narrowed, but before he had a chance to tell the guards where he thought they should stick their swords a voice came from behind him.

"What is going on?"

Naturally, it had to be Tear. Luke silently cursed; now they would have a chance to take her away, and Tear would not allow him to resort to violence to stop them. He just _had_ to make that promise.

The guards turned to face her, and Luke instinctively moved to be between them and her, imagining for a moment that they were in battle and the guards were two ligers bent on devouring Tear.

It was easy for Tear to see that something was very wrong. She did not like the look the guards were giving her, so she looked to Luke for answers. "Luke, what's happening here?"

"They think you killed Veronica," Luke said with disdain, still carefully watching the movements of the guards.

"What?!" She seemed to be as shocked by the news as he had been. "You mean Veronica's...?"

"Her body was found this morning in the harbor," the guard said without emotion. "We have reason believe you were the one who killed her."

"Why?" It seemed to be the only word she was able to form at the moment.

"That does not matter at the moment," the guard replied, seeming a bit annoyed at how long the arrest was taking. "You are to be held at the cell in the castle until your fate is decided."

The guards moved forward, but Luke refused to budge. "Like hell I'm letting you stick her in that cell!"

"Luke," Tear said pleadingly, "Please don't get yourself in trouble. I'll go with them."

"But Tear," Luke said desperately, looking back at her.

She shook her head firmly. "It'll be alright. We'll figure out what happened. Until then, the best thing is to go along with it and not get ourselves into anymore trouble."

Luke clenched his jaw, unable to come up with a response. He knew she was right, but it still hurt him deeply to simply stand idly by and watch her allow the guards to chain her wrists. As they led her out the front door of the manor he found his voice enough to yell after them, "Please don't... don't hurt her..."

The door closed behind them with an ominous bang, leaving Luke to feel painfully and utterly alone.


	16. Suspicion

Author's note: OK, OK, here it is, please don't kill my family!

Seriously though, sorry this took so damn long. Games, classes, finals, you know how it goes. I can't promise the next chapter will come much faster, but I _will_ finish this story if it's the last thing I do.

Oh, and Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays to you all, and Happy New Year!

* * *

Failure. 

The word kept running mercilessly through his head, wracking him with guilt and shame.

He had failed. He had failed to protect her. He had sworn to keep her from any more suffering, yet even as he frantically paced the front hallway of the manor she was sitting in a cell, soon to stand trial for nothing less than cold-blooded murder.

It had been ten minutes since they had taken Tear away, and Luke had spent this time desperately trying to figure out what he should do, the sporadic circles he made as he traveled throughout the room mirroring his ever-shifting thoughts. The maids and servants had long since made themselves scarce, somewhat afraid of their young master in his current state.

His first impulse had been to break her out of her cell, but that idea was immediately vanquished; he wanted to save her, not make her furious. He tried to calm himself down and think through the situation logically, as she would want him to do, but his mind kept insisting on picturing all the horrible sentences she could receive if she were found guilty.

They would not be able to do anything to her right away, due to her pregnancy, but Luke did not intend to ever let them harm her, whether it was now or in eight months. But unless he could calm himself and figure out what to do, he would be useless to her.

Luke halted in his steps, hoping that if he forced himself to stop moving physically it would help stop his panicked thoughts as well. It helped a little, but he still could not come up with a plan that did not involve knocking out guards or busting open locks. He needed help. He needed to talk to someone, someone smart.

His first choice would naturally have been Tear, but that was clearly not an option at the moment. His mother and father were gone, and all of his closest friends had left mere hours earlier.

No, not all; most. Natalia was still at the castle.

By the time he finished processing the thought, Luke was already halfway to the doorway. He hastily pushed open the door and blew past the White Knight guarding the entrance, who was clearly confused by all the comings and goings but knew his place enough not to ask questions. The castle guards were equally confused when the king's nephew sped past them in an apparent state of panic, but did little more than shrug and continue watching their posts.

It was the guards inside the castle who finally approached Luke, since he seemed to become lost and confused the moment he entered the building. He was not sure where to look first for his cousin, but his growing sense of urgency would not allow him to calm down enough to pick a direction and start searching. When a guard asked him what was the matter he literally jumped, before rounding on the unsuspecting man.

"Where's Natalia?!" he asked in his most informal tone, feeling there was no time for pleasantry.

The guard was a bit shocked by his bluntness, but recovered and answered, "I believe the princess is in her room, but I'm not sure-"

The end of the guard's sentence fell on deaf ears; Luke was already to the stairs.

As Luke charged down the hallway that led to Natalia's room, he nearly ran right into the subject of his search.

"Luke!" Natalia said in surprise as he came to a stumbling halt in front of her. "Are you alright? I-"

"Tear!" Luke cried out as soon as he regained his footing. "They took-"

"I know," Natalia interrupted him, holding up a hand to stop him. "I was about to go see how you were doing."

Luke was clearly still panicky, so Natalia smiled sympathetically and tried her best to sound comforting. "Luke, I am sure the situation will work itself out. Please, come and sit down, it may help you relax."

Somewhat reluctantly, Luke followed Natalia into her spacious room and plopped down on the couch near the door. Natalia stood in front of him and waited for a few seconds while he attempted to slow his breathing to a normal pace.

"I am sure you would like to know why they arrested Tear," Natalia said before Luke could ask, "But I still do not know the details myself. It would probably be best for you to ask her yourself."

At this remark, Luke immediately perked up and forgot why he had originally come there. "I can see her?!"

Natalia remained calm, which somewhat irritated Luke in his hyperactive state. "I suspect they are questioning her at the moment, but I am sure you would be allowed to visit her when they are through."

Luke leapt off the couch and looked ready to bolt out the door, but Natalia placed a hand on his arm and shook her head. "It will take several hours at least. There is nothing you can do until then. Sit down and attempt to relax. I will get you something to drink."

With an aggravated sigh, Luke once again seated himself. Natalia signaled a maid, and after making her request she sat down beside him.

Natalia simply watched him for a minute. He was staring blankly at the table, concentrating so hard it seemed a shame to interrupt him. However, she became concerned for his safety when he became so still that his breathing practically stopped, so she broke the silence.

"I realize you are worried, but I do not believe there is cause for too much concern. I am sure it is simply a misunderstanding. You know as well as I do that Tear would never do such a thing."

This took Luke out of his trance-like state, and he looked up at Natalia, now appearing more anxious and desperate than panicked. "I know she didn't do it, but they seemed so sure she did. It's so frustrating, not being able to do anything." He shifted positions so that his whole body was facing Natalia, and his eyes shone with a sudden determination. "I don't want to do anything violent, because I know it would be wrong, and I know it would upset Tear. But I will if I have to. I won't let them take her. I won't let them hurt her. If they say she really did it, if they threaten to punish her, I'm getting her out of here using whatever means it takes."

Most people would have thought that Luke was exaggerating, but Natalia had known him his entire life, and she recognized the deadly serious tone in his voice. It was both touching and frightening, knowing that Luke would literally kill to ensure the safety of his wife.

Natalia was unsure of how to respond. How could one reply to such a declaration? However, she was saved the burden of thinking of a proper response, for the maid entered and placed a tray on the table in front of them.

Natalia dismissed the maid and took a cup, motioning Luke to do the same. He shifted back into a front-facing position and lifted his cup, looking disdainfully at the liquid inside of it.

"Don't you have anything alcoholic?" he asked with a slight pout.

Natalia shook her head firmly. "You know you would not be able to be responsible with alcohol in your current state. What would Tear think if you showed up to visit her completely inebriated?"

Luke responded by grudgingly sipping his tea.

* * *

Five pots of tea and several hours later, Luke was back to frantically pacing the room, a routine only broken by frequent trips to the restroom. Natalia had long since given up on trying to convince him to hold still. The extent of his patience had long since been passed; it was a miracle that she had kept him from trying to force his way to see Tear. 

Though he did not show it, Luke was grateful he had Natalia to keep him company. He was sure that otherwise he would have snapped by now. The guards had been ordered to bring news the moment Tear was out of questioning, and waiting for one of them to appear was becoming unbearable.

When a guard finally entered the room, Luke set upon him in an instant and demanded information. The guard announced that Tear's questioning had been completed, but they would prefer she did not have any visitors yet. Blinded by anger and frustration, Luke did not remember exactly what he did or said after that, but whatever it was it must have been persuasive; within minutes he found himself in front of the castle dungeon, being told he could stay for a maximum of half an hour.

When the cell door creaked opened Luke had a momentary flashback of meeting Van outside that very same room years ago, but he pushed the unpleasant thought out of his mind and stepped into the dimly-lit cell. Tear was standing just inside, a small but meaningful smile on her face as she realized who it was. Luke barely took the time to register this before pulling her into a strong embrace, clinging to her like he had not seen her in weeks.

Tear clearly appreciated the show of affection. She relaxed against him and rested her cheek against his, nuzzling him gently. Both of them were silent for several moments longer; they knew each other well enough that verbally expressing their relief to see one other was unnecessary.

It was Luke who pulled away first, wanting to get a better look at Tear and make sure she was unharmed. The first thing he noticed was her eyes. Though they glinted with happiness at seeing him, there was also a distinctly tired look to them. His anger returned; how _dare_ they wake her up and question her for hours when she clearly needed the rest?

As usual, Tear was able to easily read his emotions and guess their source. "Luke, don't be angry. My actions were what made me appear suspicious. The guards are only doing their jobs."

Tear's words had the opposite effect she intended them to have. Luke became even more enraged as he noticed the exhausted tone of her voice. He was going to ask what she had done to make herself seem suspicious, but it occurred to him that it might not be the best time. She had probably been asked to explain herself many times already, and he did not want to upset her by making her tell the same story yet again.

On the other hand, he _really_ wanted to know what had happened...

"Tear," he began cautiously, "You don't have to talk about this now if you don't want to, but... why do they think it was you? What happened that night?"

Tear sighed and briefly looked away from him. When she once again met his gaze, he could see a hint of embarrassment in her eyes, and a slight tint to her cheeks.

"I went to our room to rest, as you know. But I could not fall asleep, and I became restless. I decided to leave the manor and walk around for a bit." She averted her eyes again and the red in her cheeks darkened. "I am not quite sure what possessed me, but rather than leaving through the front door, I snuck out through the window. I suppose I was feeling a bit sentimental, and was trying to relive a part of how our relationship used to be."

Had the situation not been so dire, Luke would have smiled. He understood what she meant. He also had fond memories of Tear sneaking in and out of his room at night, so they could spend some time alone together without his parents knowing.

"It seems I am not as good at it as I used to be," Tear continued, moving her eyes back to him. "Apparently one of the White Knights spotted me. I did not notice, but he told the city guards after he heard about the murder."

Luke frowned, and his eyes flashed angrily. "I'm going to find out which knight it was, and he is _so_ fired."

Despite her situation, Tear could not help but smile at Luke's overprotectiveness. "He was only doing what he thought was right. It just so happened that I left shortly after Veronica was seen for the last time."

"So they think you snuck out to go kill her?" Luke asked, his tone showing that he found the very idea utterly ridiculous.

"Yes," Tear replied, her smile fading. "They believe I snuck out so that everyone would think I was asleep in my room at the time she was murdered. It is well-known that we did not get along, especially after the incident at the party."

Luke mentally cringed at the mention of that incident. It was not a pleasant memory for him, and he did not want to dwell on it. Tear had lowered her head slightly and appeared to be thinking. A slight frown on her face showed that her thoughts were currently as unpleasant as his.

Not wanting her to despair, Luke interrupted her thoughts by leaning forward and resting his forehead against hers. "Don't worry," he assured her, "I'll get you out of here. I'll figure out what really happened. You can count on me."

Tear murmured softly in response, but said nothing. The quiet sound reminded him how tired she was, and made him feel guilty for being there so long.

"Get some sleep now, okay? I'll take care of everything."

Tear nodded in compliance. "Just don't do anything that will get you in trouble."

Luke stepped back from her and forced a smile. "I won't. Just relax, I'm sure everything will be fine."

He hoped she could not see the fear in his eyes.


	17. Scene of the Crime

Author's Note: I know, I know, I'm getting slower. But this story is almost over, so please bear with me for a little while longer.

* * *

_Now what?_

That single thought continued to run through Luke's mind as he desperately tried to come up with a plan. He had promised Tear he would take care of everything, but in truth he had no idea where to start.

His mind kept trailing back to the mystery novels he knew his mother sometimes read. He felt he should be searching for clues, so that he could eventually string together an overly-complicated explanation for what really happened, complete with catching the real culprit. However, Luke knew the limits of his abilities of deduction, and could not imagine himself adequately filling the role of detective.

All he had to do, he kept reminding himself, was prove Tear's innocence. Though he would have liked to say he helped catch a murderer, it was not his responsibility. His only concern was seeing Tear return home safely.

In theory it should not have been hard. Tear said she had gone for a walk, so someone in Baticul had to have seen her at the time Veronica was killed. That is, assuming Tear really was innocent...

Luke mentally slapped himself for thinking, even for a moment, that Tear really was guilty. Such doubts would get him nowhere, and he knew Tear would never stoop so low as to kill someone that meant her no physical harm.

Luke came to the conclusion that he would be able to do nothing until he knew the details of the crime. He was not sure exactly how he would get them, since such information was not usually public knowledge. However, he had many connections, and he figured his relationship with the accused may help him further.

Armed with a renewed determination, Luke exited the manor again in search of answers.

* * *

"_No_!"

Tear sat up suddenly, wondering who had cried out. It took her a moment to realize that she had been sleeping, and she herself had emitted the scream.

Tear shuddered. She could not remember the contents of her dream, but it left her with a sense of sickening dread. She could never before remember having a dream that caused her to physically cry out.

Seeking comfort, she instinctively reached out to her right where a warm body should have been. She was dismayed when she was met with a cold stone wall, before she remembered where she was and lowered her hand.

The small cot she was on creaked as she shifted positions to face away from the wall. She squinted, trying to make out the details of the cell, but it was too dark to see more than blurry shapes.

Tear had never been afraid of the dark, but this darkness felt different somehow. It was as if the terrors from her dream had escaped from her mind and slunk in the shadows, determined to haunt her in her waking hours.

Something was wrong. Something bad was going to happen.

Tear tried to tell herself that it was only a simple nightmare, and the lingering fear was not any kind of premonition. To focus her thoughts and calm her mind, Tear did what she always did when she was distressed: she sang. As her voice slid easily from one verse of the Grand Fonic Hymn to the next, she silently prayed to Lorelei and Yulia that her fears were unfounded.

* * *

The Kinsey mansion was a regal estate, a testament to the wealth of the Count that owned it. Its grandiose archways and crawling vines were a sight to behold, but they clashed oddly with the rest of the city's mechanical, metallic feel. The building almost appeared to be challenging the rest of Baticul, looking down upon it and daring someone to call it pompous and out of place.

The last time Luke had visited the mansion was at some formal dinner or another, so it had been decked out with its finest and most gaudy decorations. It was an eerie contrast to the way it appeared now, dull and colorless under a clouded sky, carefully preened plants trampled under the boots of the many soldiers who scoured the property in search of clues to the mystery behind the recent death of the Countess.

Luke followed obediently behind the guard escorting him, knowing that if he strayed and was caught snooping around he would be thrown off the premises. As they walked through the first set of arches into the entryway garden, Luke glanced around curiously, spotting many nervous maids and servants being questioned by city guards. It would not have surprised him if one of them had been the murderer; he could not imagine that Veronica had been a kind mistress.

They entered the grand double doors into the mansion proper, where even more activity seemed to be taking place. Luke glanced all around the room briefly, before his eyes focused on the activity going on at the center of the large entryway. Two guards were questioning the Count, Veronica's unfortunate husband.

Luke had never been fond of the man. He was ignorant to all of Auldrant's current problems, and seemed to find no reason to educate himself. He preferred to remain in his mansion on Baticul's highest tier, fawning over his succubus of a wife, despite her never showing signs of reciprocating his affections.

Even so, Luke could not help but feel a twinge of pity for the Count. He was clearly distressed, and had the look of someone who had not slept well in days. Even if the two of them did not get along, Luke could imagine the pain of losing a beloved wife. It was a feeling he desperately prayed he would never need to experience.

The guard that Luke was following stopped and turned to face him. He motioned toward the Count before speaking.

"Her husband was the last one to see her," the guard explained. "He said she left the mansion just after sunset, and the guards at the gate confirmed it. The Countess told her husband that she had a social encounter to attend."

Luke resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He could guess what kind of "social encounter" Veronica had planned in the middle of the night.

The guard continued, either oblivious to the innuendo or not particularly caring about it. "When she did not return he became concerned, and sent some of his personal guards to search for her. It was not until early the next morning that a fisherman on his way to work discovered the body."

Luke watched the guard skeptically as he finished the story. "Wait, if no one found her until morning, how do they even know when she was killed? What if it was that morning? Then there's no way it could've been Tear, I was with her then."

The guard shrugged. "Hey, I'm just saying what I've heard. They had some specialist or another look at the body, and said he could tell she had been dead since the night before. Don't understand how it works myself. Besides, she usually let people know if she wasn't coming home that night for one reason or another."

Luke decided that pursuing the issue further was pointless, so he changed the subject. "Can I talk to her husband?" No doubt the man had been questioned plenty already, but Luke doubted he would be allowed to see what he had told the investigators.

"I suppose," the guard answered, then leaned in closer and lowered his voice. "Just remember, if anyone finds out you're not supposed to be here it's my ass in the fire!"

"Don't worry," Luke reassured him, "I'll be quick."

The guards questioning the Count finished up, but instructed the man to remain there until further notice. Luke felt a little guilty for approaching him so soon after he was questioned, but this would likely be the only chance he would get to speak with him.

Suddenly feeling rather unsure of himself, Luke stepped over to Count Kinsey and spoke cautiously. "Um... excuse me, could I talk to you for a moment?"

The Count eyed him curiously. "Are you part of the investigation?"

Luke scratched the back of his head nervously. "No, I'm... I'm Luke fon Fabre."

Recognition glinted in the Count's eyes, to Luke's relief; he could not think of any other way to gracefully say he was the husband of the woman accused of killing his wife.

"Look," Luke said before the Count could speak again, "I'm pretty sure I know Tear better than anyone, and there's no way that she would've killed someone like this. But if they decide she's guilty, then whoever the real killer is will get away with it. I want to help find out who really did it."

It was somewhat of a lie. All Luke really wanted to do was get Tear off the hook, but he did not think the Count would respond well to him saying as much.

"I know a thorough investigation is being done," Luke continued, "But I'm afraid the guards might overlook something, since they're all so determined to believe Tear did it. I thought I'd do a little investigating of my own, just in case I can find something useful."

Luke waited anxiously for some kind of response. He did not know the Count well, and had no idea how he would react. Luke's mission had sounded logical enough in his head, but now that he had said it out loud he felt a bit ridiculous.

For an instant a strange expression flashed over the Count's face, but it was gone before Luke could read into it. The Count then smiled weakly, somewhat alleviating Luke's fears.

"I commend you on your noble mission," the Count said at last, in what Luke hoped was not a sarcastic tone of voice. "How may I be of service?"

* * *

It was nightfall by the time Luke left the mansion, feeling uncharacteristically optimistic. After speaking with the Count, he had managed to develop a theory about who the real murderer was, though he had no proof. He had mentioned this to the Count, but did not say who it was; if it turned out he was wrong, Luke did not want to be responsible for causing trouble for someone innocent.

Luke was anxious to share his theory with someone, so he made his way to the castle with the intention of visiting Tear. However, when he arrived the guard informed him that she was asleep. Not wanting to disturb her, Luke decided that it could wait until morning.

Not feeling ready to sleep just yet, Luke took a walk down to the port. There were a couple civilians around, as well as the usual guards. At the moment Luke wanted to be alone with his thoughts, so he continued walking for a ways, past several rows of moored ships. It was not long before he was completely alone, out of sight of everyone else.

Luke stopped and stared out over the water, feeling oddly at peace. The clear night sky, dark glistening water, and full moon made him think of Tear; for whatever reason, all of their most intimate moments seemed to happen at night.

In the distance a ship floated lazily across the sea, and Luke watched it, oddly entranced by its journey across the horizon. From somewhere behind him came the sound of something scraping against the stone walkway, but he paid it no mind, continuing to watch the drifting ship while his thoughts lingered elsewhere.

There was another sound, this one louder. Then there was pain, the sense of falling, and the feeling of icy water surrounding him before the world gave way to darkness.


	18. Jailbreak

Author's Note: I know, super short chapter. I just wanted to get something out there before someone threatened to kill my family. Fire Emblem has been eating up my life like whoa. My poor inner yaoi fangirl is begging for a chance to express herself.

* * *

Tear knew something was wrong the moment Natalia entered her cell.

The princess was making an effort to keep her distress hidden, but Tear had traveled with her long enough to learn to sense when she was upset. Her determined gaze held a hint of fear, and when she spoke, her voice was slightly higher than usual.

"Good morning, are you well?" Natalia asked cautiously, seeming unsure of how to say what she had come for.

"Well enough," Tear said somewhat curtly, not wanting to waste time by explaining the nightmares that had been plaguing her. "Is something amiss?"

Natalia paused for a single moment before speaking, a temporary loss of composure that would not have been noticed by a less trained individual. "When Luke came to visit you yesterday, did he mention anything about going somewhere?"

It would _have_ to be about Luke. Tear followed Natalia's example, biting back her emotions and answering as calmly as possible. "He mentioned trying to find a way to prove I was innocent, but he didn't mention specifically what he was planning. Why do you ask?"

Natalia seemed to consider her options for a moment. Apparently she decided to drop the facade; her calm expression gave way to concern, and her voice took on a worried, almost sympathetic tone. "Luke did not return home last night. I went to the manor to speak with him, but his parents informed me that they had not seen him since yesterday. The guards have not heard from him either."

Tear suddenly felt immensely sick, and she sat down on the cot in an attempt to stop her head from spinning. _I swear, if that idiot went and got himself killed..._

"Tear?" Natalia came forward and knelt in front of her, placing a hand over hers in an attempt to comfort her. "I am sure he is fine. I will have the guards search for him, and let you know the moment they learn anything."

Tear stood up suddenly, causing Natalia to step back in surprise and the world to spin in a most unpleasant manner. Ignoring the awful sensation, Tear met Natalia's gaze with a look of sheer determination. "I'm going out to look for him."

Natalia's look of surprise softened to gentle understanding. "I know how you feel, but I am afraid you cannot leave. I know you would not flee, but I cannot show you favoritism simply because we are family. It would set a poor example for the people of Baticul."

Tear understood of course, but at the moment she could care less about such details. "You can't expect me to simply sit here and wonder? I'm sure I could find him, if I were only allowed to look..."

"I truly am sorry," Natalia said, and though her tone was sincere, Tear could not help feeling a pang of resentment. "I promise to make sure every effort is made to find him, and I will inform you as soon as anything is found."

The princess turned to leave, knowing that if she stayed longer it could easily lead to an argument with the melodist. Tear watched her leave, silently apologizing for what she would have to do.

* * *

A pounding headache, a cold floor, and no memory of the night before. What a way to wake up.

_Damn, how much did I drink last night?_ was the first thought to pass through Luke's head as he sat up and blinked a few times, attempting to see in the stifling darkness that surrounded him.

But the pain that resulted from this movement was unlike any headache he had experienced before, and he quickly realized it was no hangover he was suffering from. With a groan, he reached up and felt the back of his head, locating the sizable lump that was no doubt the source of his discomfort.

As if the pain were not enough, Luke noticed that for some mysterious reason, he was completely, soaking wet. This would not have been a problem if wherever he was had not been so damn _cold_. He could still see nothing, but the floor appeared to be stone, and whatever building he was in must have had terrible insulation.

It took more effort than it should have, but Luke managed to push himself upright onto shaky legs. He felt around in the dark for a moment, and before long managed to locate a wall, also stone, and also _cold_.

Not knowing what else to do, he slowly made his way along the wall. He remembered hearing once that if you just stuck to one wall, you could eventually make it out of anywhere. Or was that just in mazes? Regardless, he had little else to do but continue forward and hope there was nothing around to trip on.

* * *

Tear's cell was guarded, but not very well so. A single guard stood watch nearby, but did not take his job particularly seriously; most of the castle inhabitants were familiar with Tear, and knew she was far from a dangerous prisoner. Tear felt rather guilty for taking advantage of this fact, but she had more important matters to worry about.

Her plan was incredibly simple; after all, there was no point in coming up with something complicated when something easier would suffice. The guard opened her cell to deliver her dinner, and she sang him to sleep. Her spells were not as effective without her staff, but her powers were plenty strong enough to put to sleep a single guard directly in front of her.

Carefully stepping over the fallen guard, she quietly made her way down the castle corridors, not wanting to have to use her magic more than necessary. She snuck past the guards that should could, and sang quiet hymns for the ones that she could not, eventually making her way outside with little conflict.

Now she faced two bigger problems than sneaking out of the castle: deciding where to go next, and avoiding the guards that were presumably still scouring the town in search of Luke. She did not have the time or energy to cast Nightmare on everyone she encountered; it would not be long before the castle guards awakened, and a search would be started for her as well.

Tear took a deep breath; it was going to be a long night.


End file.
